Manchester City are closing on a shock transfer deal for Cristiano Ronaldo after their pursuit of Harry Kane collapsed.
The Blues are talking over a price for the former Manchester United star with his current club Juventus — and could get him for less than £25million.
Ronaldo is now 36 and so would be nothing more than a stop-gap deal, with the search for a long-term replacement for Sergio Aguero set to resume next summer, when Erling Haaland is likely to be in the market, and Kane ’s asking price will surely drop.
Unusually, City hold most of the aces in a potential deal for Ronaldo, as Juventus are known to want his £500,000-a-week wages off their books.
The Italian club are thought to be happy with recouping between £17million and £25million for the four-time Champions League winner, and City are believed to be in negotiations with the Serie A outfit.
Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes has been busy trying to engineer a move for Ronaldo, and one final swansong for the ex-Real Madrid ace, and City are one of few clubs around Europe currently able to afford his wages — although they are unlikely to match the amount he earns at Juve.
With four days left in the transfer window, City are in no rush. And, as Pep Guardiola has repeatedly said, City would be happy to head into this season without a new striker, having won the Premier League title without one last season.
Ronaldo is a realistic solution, and with a short-term contract likely and a small fee, City would still be in the market for Haaland, Kane or any other likely striker next season — while academy product Liam Delap will also be a year older by that point.
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