After ex-Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly ‘offered himself’ to Chelsea, here’s our ranking of his six options based on likelihood…
6) Manchester United
A third stint at Man Utd for the egotistical man-child after he appeared to burn bridges at the end of his ill-fated second spell at Old Trafford, evidently spitting his dummy out as Erik ten Hag rightly preferred younger alternatives? What could possibly go wrong?
You could argue his first season was a success as he scored 24 goals across all competitions, but his presence made Ole Gunnar Solskajer’s team worse before the first six months of the 2022/23 campaign was a self-inflicted disaster he could not help make worse.
With Ronaldo in the final six months of his contract, he is back in the transfer conversation and he reportedly ‘has a desire to return to Europe’.
Rightly or wrongly, Man Utd will get a mention given their past links with Ronaldo, but his chances of putting on their red shirt (barring the odd testimonial) should be over.
Ronaldo turns 40 next month and the prospect of a third spell at Old Trafford as a player is slim at best, but one of his ex-United fanboys has floated the idea of him returning as a coach and this is more likely, especially with Portuguese head coach Ruben Amorim in the dugout instead of his least favourite bald Dutchman.
READ: So-called ‘world record’ holder Cristiano Ronaldo has actually scored zero proper goals for Portugal
5) Chelsea
Having bemoaned Man Utd’s failure to qualify for the Champions League, Ronaldo’s lack of options in Europe led to him taking the Saudi mega bucks, but Chelsea were one of few suitors. At the time, Thomas Tuchel pushed back on the transfer wanted by co-owner Todd Boehly and it fell through.
Ronaldo headed into 2023 with European options in the single figures, while he starts 2025 with even fewer possibilities. It feels like Chelsea remains the only Premier League club he could conceivably join.
Chelsea’s hierarchy infuriated supporters with their transfer activity in the summer as they failed to land a world-class striker after missing out on Victor Osimhen; Nicolas Jackson’s stunning start to the season silenced those naysayers, though his (and his side’s) ongoing dip in form has seen panic stations revisited.
While the Ronaldo glamour signing would tempt some of Chelsea’s more naive executives, it undermines the transfer model established – rightly or wrongly – under Boehly; they are better off waiting to land Osimhen/Viktor Osimhen in the summer.
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4) Paris Saint-Germain
It is somewhat surprising that Ronaldo is yet to have a spell at PSG given their vast wealth and past obsession with hoarding all-star forwards; he could have potentially lined up alongside Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.
Despite previously being linked with PSG, Ronaldo did not make the move as Juventus were his left-field destination post-Real Madrid before he returned to Man Utd.
PSG previously rolled over and had their tummies tickled by a domineering Mbappe as their Champions League obsession overcame them, but this was to their detriment as they failed even with the best front three (on paper) in Europe.
Mbappe’s exit to Real Madrid (which has so far been mixed) has been a blessing in disguise for PSG, who have taken a step back with their transfer approach to apply a focus on building around promising French talents rather than ego-driven superstars. So Ronaldo’s chances of playing for the French giants have likely been and gone.
3) Sporting Lisbon
Realistically, 39-year-old Ronaldo has a maximum of one more transfer before he retires and only a couple of seasons of playing football (presumably until the World Cup) before he finally calls it a day.
This – plus the fact that his move to Saudi Arabia has damaged his reputation – means his options are limited, as the days of being a long-term option for potential suitors are over.
But Sporting Lisbon are presumably one team willing to give Ronaldo a call and this move would enable him to finish his career where it began.
Sporting have followed a similar path to Ajax post-Ten Hag following Amorim’s exit as they have already sacked a manager amid a slump in league form. They are also at risk of losing their best players this year and Ronaldo could fill the goalscoring shoes left by Gyokeres, who increasingly looks Premier League-bound.
READ: Six Man Utd certainties under Amorim after Liverpool include three exits, key quartet, £45m transfer
2) MLS
The Saudi Pro League destination have stolen the MLS’ thunder as the peak destination for money-hungry footballers to briefly call home en route to retirement, though Messi’s move to Inter Miami has reinvigorated the division as him and his former Barcelona pals have attracted more eyes to the once-floundering league.
The possible arrival of Kevin De Bruyne in 2025 could be a further boost, but you’d imagine clubs would be queueing up to land Ronaldo to set up a last hurrah of his storied rivalry with Messi.
Particularly in the lead-up to the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States, Ronaldo reuniting with Messi would be the perfect marketing opportunity for MLS chiefs to build buzz before the major tournament, though he does already have a similar ambassadorial role for Saudi before they host in 2034.
1) Retirement…then coaching
Ronaldo clearly has very few elite options and any transfer would be a short-term gig. Also, he’s already had his ambassador hat on in trying to sell the Saudi Pro League to the masses, suggesting the division is “better than” Ligue Un.
This claim has not sat well with supporters of the so-called ‘Farmer’s League’, but it indicates Ronaldo is getting along pretty fine in the Saudi Pro League and is not guaranteed to pursue one more move before hanging up his boots.
Ronaldo relishes being the belle of the ball and the Saudi Pro League are treating him as such.
So it feels most likely that we will continue in Saudi for another year or two before riding into the sunset, which – in other words – means he will turn to coaching after previously showing an appetite for the role while hobbling in the dugout during the Euro 2016 final. Perhaps even starting with Man Utd…?
