Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has cooled talk around a Magpies swoop for Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo - because he is too old.
The Portuguese forward appears likely to leave Old Trafford sooner rather than later with his contract expiring next summer. Any exit would bring to an end a dramatic two-year spell for Ronaldo with the Red Devils having sealed an emotional return from Juventus.
He scored 24 goals in his first campaign but a failure to secure Champions League football led to the 3 7-year-old lodging a request to leave the club. Ronaldo could not seal an exit though and will stay as a Red Devil until at least January.
It remains to be seen where his future lies as he enters the twilight years of his career although Newc a stle have been touted as a potential destination as they continue their big-spending since their Saudi-backed takeover. Howe though has rejected the prospect of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner pitching up at St James’ Park because of his age.
Speaking ahead of Newcastle ’s Premier League showdown with the Red Devils, he said: “We’re trying to provide long-term growth, we’ve got a longer-term vision. At the moment, we have quite an ageing squad, so we probably need to invest in more young players. That’s probably a big part of our progression, really.
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“We need to get the average age down, so it might not be a signing [Ronaldo] that we would necessarily look to make – but not under-estimating the quality of the player.”
Whilst Howe does not expect Newcastle to make a move for Ronaldo in the future, that has not stopped the former Bournemouth boss from waxing lyrical about the record-breaking Portuguese forward.
He continued: “His career when you look at the numbers – and it’s been highlighted again because he scored his 700th goal just how good his record is, how good his career has been – the quality of the player is unquestionable.
“He’s an outstanding player. You look at his goal record last year – that was incredible, so for me, the transfer has worked, it’s been a success.
“He got massive goals last year and some really late, important goals in the Champions League, so I think he’s still an outstanding player and it should never be under-estimated what he’s done in the game.”
Ronaldo actually has a stunning career record against Newcastle over two spells with Man Utd. In 13 appearances against the Magpies, he has never ended up on the losing side, whilst also scoring eight goals across those outings. Whilst Newcastle are currently not in the running for his services, Ronaldo is unlikely to be short of offers next summer - clubs in Saudi Arabia having previously had bids turned down for his services.
