It is fairly safe to assume Cristiano Ronaldo will never play for Manchester United again after his highly critical interview with Piers Morgan this week.
The trouble for United is how to resolve it. The Telegraph reports United will look to terminate his deal – only if he agrees to waiving the rest of his salary. This may be unlikely
United would instead need to find a buyer, and this is tough, because Ronaldo struggled to find a market in the summer, and his performances have regressed this season.
One potential destination for Ronaldo is a surprising one, French side Lyon.
Laurent Blanc wants to sign Cristiano Ronaldo
Laurent Blanc returned to management in France at the start of October after former Ajax and Dortmund boss Peter Bosz was sacked.
Blanc previously won titles with PSG and has since been coaching in the Middle East.
The former Manchester United defender has held an interest in signing Ronaldo for Lyon since prior to his appointment.
French outlet Le Quotidien du Sport reported in September that Blanc and president Jean-Michel Aulas discussed a potential plan to try and sign Ronaldo in January, prior to his appointment.
The same outlet has now reported that Blanc and Aulas continue to share the same belief, that a January deal for Ronaldo is possible.
Blanc left Manchester United in 2003 just before Ronaldo was signed, but the report states: “Blanc is perfectly aware of the situation and believes in the possibility of bringing him to the Rhône.”
Lyon would like Ronaldo to take a wage cut or ask United to pay some of his salary.
Swap deal possible
Lyon’s other option to do a deal is for the French club to conduct a swap deal with Manchester United for Moussa Dembele.
Dembele’s contract is up at the end of the season, and rather than lose him on a free, Lyon would rather utilise him to land Ronaldo, Le Quotidien du Sport report.
The report states: “According to our information, OL is studying the possibility of ensuring that both operations can be carried out.”
Half the battle for Manchester United
Half the battle for Manchester United is finding a club who want to sign Cristiano Ronaldo. Laurent Blanc and Lyon’s desire to make a splash could work perfectly.
The trouble is whether Ronaldo might consider Lyon attractive enough. They are a big name in French football but have no European football to offer this season and currently sit eighth in Ligue 1 – although Blanc has provided a bit of an upturn in form since his appointment.
United do need to sign a striker, so a move for Moussa Dembele in return might be attractive as a quick fix.
This season has not been a strong one for him however, he has just two goals in 12 games, losing his place to Alexandre Lacazette.
Last season he struck 22 goals for the club, so he is capable of contributing, and at 26, needs a fresh start with his career.
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