Real Madrid Transfer News: Cristiano Ronaldo Rumours Discussed by PSG President

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has claimed there have been no talks between his club and Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo, but he didn’t rule out a move for the forward further down the line.

As reported by Pete Jenson of the MailOnline, the French champions have been linked with a move for the 30-year-old. After the game, Al-Khelaifi was interviewed and asked whether there had been any negotiations over a possible deal for Ronaldo.

“Ronaldo has a contract with Real and we respect that,” he said, per Jenson. “Negotiations would be in secret but nothing for now.”

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Ronaldo made comments to German magazine Kicker recently which hinted he could be on the move, per Marca. In the interview, the Portuguese said “leave Real? Why Not?” 

Ahead of the game against the Parisians on Tuesday, which Real won 1-0, Los Blancos president Florentino Perez was seen talking to Ronaldo, giving the forward a friendly slap on the face as he entered the stadium. “What did I say? I never said that. I said it differently,” the forward is alleged to have responded to a question about his comments to Kicker, per Jenson.

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It was a frustrating night for Ronaldo, who failed to touch the ball at all inside the PSG penalty area. However, as we can see here courtesy of the Guardian’s Sid Lowe, the system deployed by Real did leave the forward a little isolated:

The winger has scored goals this season, but under the tutelage of Rafa Benitez, his influence on general play seems to be waning. In addition, the player will know full well what the reaction will be to interviews like the one he has recently conducted with Kicker.

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On the field, while Ronaldo is a player that’s always worn his heart on his sleeve, his emotions do seem to be showing through more than normal, as noted by Dermot Corrigan of ESPN FC:

Perhaps a move to PSG would suit Ronaldo at this stage of his career. As is evident by the manner in which the French champions performed against Real Madrid, they’re a team that are on the up and have plenty of foundations in place to launch an assault on the Champions League. What they are currently lacking is a little bit of stardust.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has provided it down the years, but he’s a player who seems to be approaching the twilight of his career and is likely to leave PSG with his contract expiring at the end of the season, per the Press Association (h/t the Daily Mail). As noted by Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Johnson, the Parisians squandered some clear-cut chances on the night:

With Ronaldo in situ, they’d be a major force. PSG are one of a few teams in world football who could afford to prise him away from the Spanish capital and pay what’d be a bumper salary. Should Zlatan depart at the end of the season, the Parc des Princes will be crying out for another talismanic figure at the point of the attack.

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Real will not want to lose Ronaldo, though. While his influence on matches is likely to continue dwindling, in the penalty area there is no more ruthless player in the world. The former Manchester United man can turn games the way of his team and while Ronaldo may not be quite as rampant under Benitez, in tight games his clinical instincts will remain so important.