Transfer Talk: PSG, Chelsea mull Ronaldo amid Manchester United fury over interview
Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens wonder what could be next for Cristiano Ronaldo after his criticism of Manchester United. (1:29)
The summer transfer window is closed for the major leagues in Europe. However, with an eye on January, there’s plenty of gossip swirling about who’s moving where. Transfer Talk brings you all the latest buzz on rumours, comings, goings and, of course, done deals!
Paris Saint-Germain are still interested in signing Cristiano Ronaldo, while Chelsea are “not unwilling” to make a move for the Manchester United star, according to Sky Sports Germany.
PSG were previously linked with the 37-year-old Portugal striker in the summer, and the report indicates that the Parc des Princes hierarchy are yet to close the door on a potential move for him.
Excerpts from Ronaldo’s interview, due to be broadcast in full on Wednesday — in which he blasted United and manager Erik ten Hag — has left the Old Trafford club furious over his comments and timing, sources have told ESPN.
PSG advisor Luis Campos is reported to have some concerns over an approach, with the belief that the club should prioritise signing young players to the squad. If Ronaldo were to move to PSG, he could enter a side that already has veteran stars Lionel Messi (35 years old) and Neymar (30 years old) playing key roles in the attack.
While a frontrunner is yet to be established for Ronaldo, Chelsea and Sporting CP have also been linked with interest. However, Sky Sports Germany’s report cites an unspecified issue with United letting Ronaldo return to Sporting, his first professional club.
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21.39 GMT: Juventus are hoping to sign Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and persuade Adrien Rabiot to sign a new contract, according to Tuttosport. Rabiot is the more pressing issue for the Bianconeri as the France international’s contract runs out in the summer and chances of a renewal are seen as being slim, while a deal for Milinkovic-Savic is more likely to happen after the season when the Serbia international’s deal will have just 12 months remaining.
21.06 GMT: Crystal Palace are considering an ambitious attempt to sign Flamengo attacking midfielder Matheus Franca, according to the Mail, which adds that the Eagles are willing to offer a £15m transfer fee plus a percentage of any future move. Their attempts come despite the 18-year-old having a release clause worth £87m as well as expected competition from the likes of Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen.
20.33 GMT: Lazio forward Pedro has asked the Roman club to give him time before triggering the option to extend his contract, reports Corriere dello Sport, with the former Barcelona and Chelsea star’s deal expiring at the end of the season. The ex-Spain international will turn 36 this summer and doesn’t want to make any hasty decisions as he would like to end his career close to him in Tenerife, and there have also been large offers from the UAE.
20.00 GMT: Real Madrid are considering whether to trigger the clause in Vinicius Tobias‘ loan from Shakhtar Donetsk that would allow the right-back to join the Spanish capital club permanently for a transfer fee of around €8m, reports Marca. The 18-year-old has impressed for Los Blancos‘ Castilla side and could be the latest Brazilian teenager to make their mark on the Bernabeu.
19.27 GMT: L’Equipe reports that Marseille could be in for a busy winter window, especially as Gerson is expected to join Flamengo, with Atalanta’s Ruslan Malinovskyi among the players OM are considering to help in attacking areas. If Eric Bailly’s fitness concerns don’t improve, the Ligue 1 outfit could also consider signing a defender.
18.54 GMT: Bayer Leverkusen are among the clubs interested in signing FC Salzburg goalkeeper Philipp Kohn, reports Sky Sport Deutschland’s Florian Plettenberg. The 24-year-old wants to play in the Bundesliga and a move could be possible in the summer, with any deal set to include a transfer fee of around €10m.
18.21 GMT: Calciomercato reports that AS Roma midfielder Bryan Cristante has signed a new contract with the club until 2027, and that there will be an announcement during the break for the World Cup. In the meantime, the 27-year-old will have surgery on a hand injury sustained against Napoli in the hope that he will be able to start 2023 as strongly as possible.
17.43 GMT: Two Saudi Arabian clubs are monitoring the situation of Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets, according to Ekrem Konur, with the 34-year-old’s contract ending this summer. However, it is added that the Spain international is planning to continue in MLS after bringing to an end his 15-year senior Blaugrana career.
17.00 GMT: Sport Bild’s Christian Falk has denied any suggestion that Bayern Munich have met with Jorge Mendes regarding Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo. It seems almost inevitable that the 37-year-old Portugal international will leave Old Trafford, but Falk states that the Bavarian giants are not interested in signing him.
16.12 GMT: Cristiano Ronaldo‘s rift with Manchester United will not derail Portugal’s World Cup campaign, according to Benfica midfielder Joao Mario.
The five-time Ballon d’Or or winner accused United of trying to force him out of the club in the summer in an explosive TV interview on Sunday, just one day before he arrived to the national team training camp in Oeiras, Lisbon.
“I don’t see a problem with the timing [of Ronaldo’s interview] so it’s fine for us,” Joao Mario told a news conference on Tuesday. “I don’t think it puts further pressure on him or on us. We’re used to dealing with great pressure.
“It’s not the first time that a player comes to the national team having a problem with his club. One of the advantages is that we put everything to the side when being here. When we get to the national team, it’s another working group and we try to focus on what’s most important.
Bruno Fernandes didn’t seem pleased to meet Manchester United and Portugal teammate Cristiano Ronaldo following his comments in an interview.
15.28 GMT: Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard says he could leave the club for a new challenge.
Pavard, 26, has been at the Allianz Arena since 2019 but has been playing mainly as a right-back. The France international’s contract expires in 2024 and he is seemingly attracted by a move to AC Milan.
“I’ve been playing in Germany for seven years, I have many friends in Stuttgart and I’ve won everything with Bayern. I play to win and I am open to considering new projects as a centre-back,” he told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Olivier [Giroud] always tells me that Italy is a country that 100% lives for football. He has told me about the magic in the derby and the big celebrations for Milan’s title win. I’d like to play with him because he is a good friend of mine, let’s see. It is never easy to win, but Serie A is very interesting, not just for a defender like me. It’s very open as my friends Giroud, Theo Hernandez and Adrien Rabiot have always told me.”
14.57 GMT: ICYMI – Erik ten Hag has told Manchester United bosses that Cristiano Ronaldo should not play for the club again, sources have told ESPN’s Rob Dawson.
Ten Hag held a meeting with co-chairman Joel Glazer, chief executive Richard Arnold and football director John Murtough on Monday to discuss the fallout from Ronaldo’s explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
Ten Hag, who is not in Manchester but delayed the start of a family holiday to deal with the issue, believes Ronaldo has gone too far in his criticism of the club and the revelation that he “doesn’t respect” the United boss.
United found out about the interview in the hours after the dramatic 2-1 over Fulham on Sunday, sources have told ESPN, and are now taking legal advice about how best to deal with the situation.
Ronaldo has a contract worth more than £500,000-a-week until the end of the season, but there is a feeling at Old Trafford that it will be almost impossible to reintegrate the 37-year-old into the squad after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Sources have told ESPN a number of senior players are furious at the timing of the striker’s outburst with parts of the interview first made public just hours after teenager Alejandro Garnacho had scored a stoppage-time winner against Fulham.
13.55 GMT: Barcelona could let winger Memphis Depay leave the club as a free agent in January, with his contract up in 2023, according to Relevo.
Depay, 28, has played only three times this season, scoring one goal, and has dropped further down the pecking order after the arrival of Robert Lewandowski.
The Netherlands international could agree to have his contract terminated and then move to another club for nothing.
13.19 GMT: FC Salzburg have a habit of bringing through the top young talents and striker Noah Okafor could be next.
Okafor, 22, has 10 goals in 22 games this season and will play for Switzerland at the upcoming World Cup. However, Sky Sport Germany’s Florian Plettenburg reports that it’s “possible” he could leave the Austrian club in January, with interest from Manchester City, Liverpool and AC Milan.
Okafor could cost any interest clubs around €40m, but his contract expires in 2024.
12.45 GMT: Will Jude Bellingham leave Dortmund?
Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens can’t understand Borussia Dortmund’s stance on the future of midfielder Jude Bellingham.
11.59 GMT: Roma are ready to listen to offers for striker Tammy Abraham, says Calciomercato.
Abraham, 25, moved to Roma from Chelsea for €40m in 2021 but has only scored four goals in 20 appearances this season.
The former Chelsea star could be allowed to move in January as Roma want to raise funds to sign Sassuolo midfielder Davide Frattesi.
11.12 GMT: The Sun claims Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk is being tracked by Manchester United and Arsenal.
Mudryk, 21, has caught the eye this season with three goals during the group stage of the Champions League. Arsenal have been tracking the Ukraine international for some time, with United reported to be joining the race for his signature.
However, United may not move for Mudryk in January, due to a possible €60m transfer fee, while they also have AC Milan star Rafael Leao on their shortlist.
10.42 GMT: Brazilian forward Alexandre Pato has bid farewell to Orlando City.
Pato, 33, joined the MLS side in February 2021 and scored four goals in 32 appearances for the club.
His contract expires next month and he has not signed a contract extension.
The former AC Milan and Chelsea player, who has not indicated where he will play next, wrote on social media: “A story that will stay in my heart forever! Thank you everyone who was with me on this journey and to you fans of this special team! I wish you much success @orlandocitysc I will always be here cheering. Thank you for everything!”
10.14 GMT: Inter Milan forward Edin Dzeko is hopeful he will be offered a contract extension with the Nerazzurri.
Dzeko, 36, becomes a free agent in June 2023 but the Bosnia and Herzegovina star is Inter’s second leading scorer in Serie A behind Lautaro Martinez with nine goals, including six in the league, while he has set up four more in 21 games this season.
“I’m so eager to keep playing as I’m doing now,” Dzeko, who joined Inter from Roma in the summer of 2021, said. “I’m doing my best and then we shall see.”
Inter CEO Giuseppe Marotta has confirmed they will open talks with Dzeko to offer a new deal.
“He deserves a contract extension,” Marotta. “He is a great professional, he is attached to the jersey and like many veteran players around, he has a goal-scoring habit. We’ll start contacts when the right time comes: that’s our desire…”
09.26 GMT: Sporting CP’s Spanish right-back Pedro Porro is not getting carried away by reports that Barcelona are keen to sign him in the January transfer window.
Porro, 23, joined Sporting on a permanent transfer from Manchester City in the summer after a strong season on loan with the Portuguese outfit.
Barca are looking to strengthen their right-back position and Porro is among the candidates being considered by coach Xavi.
“The truth is I’m just focusing on spending a few days with my family now and it’s not the case to talk about that,” Porro said when asked Barca’s report interests after arriving in Spain for a short break. I just have to continue to work which is the main thing. Everything is going well.”
Porro is under contract with Sporting until June 2025.
08.42 GMT: Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy is considering his future at the club, according to the Daily Mail.
Mendy, who will represent Senegal at the World Cup over the next month, became the club’s No. 1 after joining from Rennes in 2020. However, Kepa Arrizabalaga has also seen plenty of game time since Graham Potter took over as manager at Stamford Bridge. Mendy has started Chelsea last four matches, of which they have lost three.
The Mail report adds that Potter is considering making a move to sign Robert Sanchez from his former club, Brighton & Hove Albion.
08.00 GMT: The latest update on Manchester United’s reaction to Cristiano Ronaldo‘s interview — Erik ten Hag has told club bosses that Ronaldo should not play for the club again, sources have told ESPN’s Rob Dawson.
Ten Hag held a meeting with co-chairman Joel Glazer, chief executive Richard Arnold and football director John Murtough on Monday to discuss the fallout from Ronaldo’s explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
Ten Hag, who is not in Manchester but delayed the start of a family holiday to deal with the issue, believes Ronaldo has gone too far in his criticism of the club and the revelation that he “doesn’t respect” the United boss.
United found out about the interview in the hours after the dramatic 2-1 over Fulham on Sunday, sources have told ESPN, and are now taking legal advice about how best to deal with the situation.
Ronaldo has a contract worth more than £500,000-a-week until the end of the season but there is a feeling at Old Trafford that it will be almost impossible to reintegrate the 37-year-old into the squad after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Sources have told ESPN a number of senior players are furious at the timing of the striker’s outburst with parts of the interview first made public just hours after teenager Alejandro Garnacho had scored a stoppage-time winner against Fulham.
– Marcotti: Will Ronaldo comments help him and United split?
Mark Ogden reacts to Cristiano Ronaldo’s interview in which he said he felt betrayed by Manchester United.
– The race for Youri Tielemans could heat up in January, with Arsenal and Barcelona keen on his signature, reports Sport. The 25-year-old Leicester City midfielder will have just six months left on his contract at the King Power Stadium in January, and that will allow clubs from outside of the Premier League to offer him a pre-contract agreement.
– Ilkay Gundogan is being tracked by Barcelona, reports Sky Sports Germany. With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, it is reported that the Blaugrana are highly interested in the 32-year-old Germany international midfielder, who is yet to decide whether he will stay with Manchester City beyond next summer. He has made 12 appearances in the Premier League this season.
– Sergino Dest could be set to remain at San Siro, with AC Milan interested in renewing his loan deal, according to Calciomercato. The United States wing-back has impressed since joining the club on loan from Barcelona, and is understood to have caught the attention of Milan chief Paolo Maldini with his recent performance against Fiorentina on Sunday. While the Rossoneri have the option to make his current move become permanent for €20m, the report indicates that they will soon open talks over a new loan proposal for the 22-year-old.
– Sevilla are interested in Villarreal centre-back Pau Torres, according to Ekrem Konur. The 25-year-old is reported to also be on the radar of clubs in Italy and England, with his contract set to enter the final 18 months in January. Torres has made 13 appearances in La Liga this season, while also being a regular starter for the Spain national team.
– Alan Matturro looks set to make the switch to Italy, with Serie B side Genoa close to completing a move for him, reveals Gianluca Di Marzio. The 18-year-old defender currently plays for Uruguay-based side Defensor Sporting, where he has also caught the attention of Internazionale. It is reported that Inter’s offer is worth €3m plus bonuses, with a future transfer fee clause of 20%.