Atletico president dismisses Ronaldo links
Published
If Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United this summer as he hopes, it won't be back to Madrid.
Atletico president Enrique Cerezo told COPE Radio that his club isn't interested in the Portugal forward.
"I don't know who invented this story about Cristiano Ronaldo to Atletico Madrid," Cerezo said. "It's definitely not true. It's practically impossible for him to come to Atletico de Madrid."
Citing a desire to play in the Champions League and compete for trophies, Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes has attempted to facilitate a move for his client, but neither United nor any prospective teams appear to be interested. United reiterated their stance to Ronaldo in a face-to-face meeting at the Carrington training ground on Tuesday.
Chelsea had explored the possibility of signing the five-time Ballon d'Or winner earlier this month, but ultimately decided against a serious pursuit. Bayern Munich also decided against any bid.
Ronaldo, who returned to United last summer after a 12-year absence with spells at Real Madrid and Juventus, has one year remaining on his current deal with a club option for 2024.
He made 38 appearances across all competitions last season, scoring 24 goals.
United is set to open their 2022-2023 Premier League campaign on Aug. 7 when Brighton visits Old Trafford.