Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Sport
Will Unwin

Football transfer rumours: Cristiano Ronaldo set for Sporting return?

Cristiano Ronaldo looking for a way out of Old Trafford
Cristiano Ronaldo looking for a way out of Old Trafford. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA

Cristiano Ronaldo seems really keen to leave Manchester United but his options are dwindling by the day. He could even return to first club Sporting CP in order to end his Old Trafford nightmare.

As surprising moves go, Joe Rodon leaving Tottenham for Rennes is a bit of a head turner. The French side will take the Wales centre-back on loan with the option to keep him permanently in exchange for €20m. Hopefully he does the business in Ligue 1.

There will be no more loans back to the Premier League, until at least January, for Ademola Lookman who is set to join Atalanta from RB Leipzig in a permanent deal. The winger has spent time with Fulham and Leicester in recent seasons but looks set to call Bergamo his home for the foreseeable.

Brighton are not particularly eager to entertain Manchester City’s overtures in relation to Marc Cucurella. The Premier League champions, who do not have an orthodox left-back, are willing to pay £40m for the defender but they will need to go much higher just to get the Seagulls to listen.

Some say you should never go back but Frank Lampard is not someone who believes in such a phrase. Everton are in talks with Paris Saint-Germain over a return for midfielder Idrissa Gueye.

Marseille are set to bring in Nuno Tavares on loan from Arsenal. A slightly more legendary Gunners figure (until that ghastly move to Old Trafford) could join him after the club entered into negotiations with Internazionale over Alexis Sánchez.

There is still work to be done at Spurs this window and they are supposedly very keen on signing Nicolò Zaniolo from Roma. The Premier League team even believe they can beat the Old Lady, Juventus, to his signature. They could be helped by earning a few quid from the sale of Sergio Reguilón to Barcelona, who still have dinero to spend somehow. Another name shuffling towards the exit door is Giovani Lo Celso who is attracting interest from Villarreal and Fiorentina. Spurs want £17m for the midfielder.

Vincent Kompany knows a good centre-back when he sees one and certainly if they have been playing in Belgium in recent years, which might explain why Burnley have bid for Club Brugge defender Jack Hendry.

Leeds and Nottingham Forest need to add some strength in depth to their squads before the season starts. One man who could help is Manchester City youngster James McAtee who is available for loan in order to get some experience of first-team football.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.