Report: Manchester United new favorite to sign Ronaldo as City pull out

Manchester United are working on a sensational deal to reunite with Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo 12 years after he left Old Trafford.

The Red Devils have emerged as the new frontrunner to sign Ronaldo after Manchester City abandoned their pursuit of the Portuguese superstar on Friday, reports The Guardian’s Fabrizio Romano.

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri confirmed earlier on Friday that Ronaldo informed the club of his desire to leave this summer after three years in Italy. Ronaldo has one year remaining on his contract, worth an estimated €31 a season.

Manchester City were seemingly leading the race to sign Ronaldo after the player’s agent, Jorge Mendes, reportedly approached the club earlier this week. The two sides discussed personal terms over a two-year contract.

However, the reigning Premier League champions never reached an agreement with Ronaldo’s camp and aren’t believed to be interested in procuring his services for the 2021-22 season anymore, according to The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell and David Ornstein.

Mendes has since met with Manchester United officials to discuss terms of a deal, according to The Guardian’s Ed Aarons and Romano.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer appeared to open the door for a reunion during his meeting with the media Friday.

While Solskjaer insisted he would not speculate on his former teammate’s future, he suggested that Ronaldo could be considering United.

“I didn’t think Cristiano was gonna turn out leaving Juventus. It’s been speculation the last few days, of course,” Solskjaer said.

“We’ve always had a good communication. I know Bruno (Fernandes) has been talking to him as well. He knows what we feel about him. If he was ever going to move from Juventus, he knows that we’re here.”

It’s understood that Juventus could demand a transfer fee in the region of €28 million.

Ronaldo arrived at Old Trafford from Sporting Lisbon in 2003 for £12.2 million. He went on to score 118 goals in 292 appearances and won the first of his five Ballon d’Or awards in 2008.

The 36-year-old left United for Real Madrid in 2009 for a then-transfer-record of £80 million (€94 million).