Cristiano Ronaldo has been linked with a number of clubs amid reports he is unsettled at Juventus.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some potential destinations for the five-time world player of the year should he leave the Italian giants.
Paris St Germain
Rarely does a big name become available without being linked with PSG these days but signing Ronaldo and Lionel Messi in the same transfer window is surely something that can only happen in a computer game. No-one could doubt the French club have the resources to make it happen and many – not least the marketing department – would love to see that pair together alongside Neymar. Kylian Mbappe leaving could perhaps change the picture but it does still seem like fantasy football.
Manchester City
As with PSG, the deep pockets of City’s owner makes this an easy link to make but it maybe should not be completely dismissed. City’s need for a regular goalscorer to replace Sergio Aguero is well known but they appear to be getting no encouragement in their pursuit of Harry Kane. Should they decide to shelve that bid, 36-year-old Ronaldo would be an obvious short-term option. He does not fit the normal profile of a Pep Guardiola player, however, and his past association with rivals Manchester United would be a complicating factor.
Manchester United
Many United fans would undoubtedly snap up any opportunity to bring the Portuguese back to Old Trafford were it up to them. There may also be an emotional pull on Ronaldo’s part to return to a club where he enjoyed considerable success early in his career. Yet it is not the first time such a move has been suggested and it is not obvious if there is any real appetite for it to happen.
Real Madrid
This would perhaps seem the most likely possibility. New Real boss Carlo Ancelotti is reportedly interested and Ronaldo’s love of the club, where he is an adored figure, is still strong. Finances could be the stumbling block, though, with uncertainty over what the Spanish giants can afford.
Sporting Lisbon
Sporting were Ronaldo’s first professional club and there have been suggestions he would like to end his career where it started. It would be a sentimental move but whether he is quite ready for that remains to be seen.
Tottenham
Spurs are one of the latest clubs to be linked with what would be a shock move for the evergreen Ronaldo. The club are on the look-out for attacking reinforcements and their need would become greater should Kane leave. Whether they could truly lure one of the all-time greats to play in the Europa Conference League – if they even qualify for it – seems unlikely at this stage, however.
