A-League bosses are “in dialogue” with Cristiano Ronaldo’s camp in a bid to bring the football megastar Down Under amid an impending exit from Manchester United.
The 37-year-old, who will captain Portugal at the FIFA World Cup, is all but certain to leave United in the January transfer window after unloading on the club in an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
Ronaldo’s departure from United could signal the end of his time playing in Europe’s top leagues, with the A-League and the United States’ MLS looming as potential options for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
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The A-League is already home to one of Ronaldo’s international and Manchester United teammates, with Portuguese midfielder Nani joining Melbourne Victory this season.
Australian Professional Leagues (APL) CEO Danny Townsend denied that Nani had been consulted on a potential Ronaldo move, but indicated that the Portuguese icon’s camp had been contacted.
“We haven’t been in Nani’s ear but we’ve certainly registered our interest in bringing (Ronaldo) to Australia,” Townsend told SportsFM 91.3.
“It’s obviously a long shot but we certainly have a proposition here in Australia for him to consider.
“We’re in dialogue and we’ll see where that goes.”
Ronaldo also has a family connection to Australia, with his grandparents having moved to Western Australia more than two decades ago, before the Portuguese phenomenon became a pro.
Ronaldo would not be the first European star to hit Australian shores with Italian icon Alessandro Del Piero and Brazillian legend Romario having already played in the A-League as well as Spanish World Cup winner David Villa, but he would certainly be the biggest name to have ever played in the competition.
Ronaldo has scored 701 goals in 951 club appearances since making his debut for Sporting Lisbon’s B team back in the 2002-03 season.
He is a five-time UEFA Champions League winner and has also won the English Premier League, the Spanish La Liga and the Italian Serie A titles on multiple occasions.
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