- FC Barcelona has been offered the chance to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, meaning he could finally get to join forces with Lionel Messi.
- That’s according to respected Spanish reporter Guillem Balague, who says Juventus is keen to get Ronaldo’s $34 million annual salary of its wage bill.
- “Jorge Mendes has been given instructions to find a team for Ronaldo,” Balague told BBC Radio 5 Live. “He’s been offered everywhere, including Barcelona.”
- Ronaldo and Messi are two of the highest scorers in soccer history, having hit a respective 755 and 731 goals during their careers.
- Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Cristiano Ronaldo could finally join forces with Lionel Messi.
That’s according to Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, who says FC Barcelona has been offered the chance to sign the Portuguese forward with Juventus keen to get him off the club’s wage bill.
Ronaldo earns a reported $34 million per year in wages alone at Juventus, which is the second highest salary of any footballer in Europe, behind only Messi.
Balague added that Ronaldo has also been offered to French champions Paris Saint Germain.
"The reason why Cristiano Ronaldo has been linked to PSG is not so much that PSG are thinking of getting him, it is because Jorge Mendes has been given instructions to find a team for Ronaldo," Balague told BBC Radio 5 Live. Jorge Mendes is Ronaldo's agent.
"We've seen this in the last six months, he was linked to Real Madrid. They said no chance, he's not coming back.
"And there's been talks about the MLS because Juventus want to get rid of that wage. It is as drastic as that. He's been offered everywhere, including Barcelona."
While 35 years old, Ronaldo is still one of the most prolific forwards in European soccer. In 46 games for Juventus last season, he scored 37 goals, firing Maurizio Sarri's side to its ninth straight Serie A title and taking his career goal total to an astonishing 755 for both club and country.
Like Ronaldo, Messi, 33, is also one of Europe's top goal getters, having hit 31 in all competitions for Barcelona last year, a return that took his total of career goals to 731.
Should the pair join up, they would create the deadliest strike force in soccer history. Balague, however, is not convinced the move will happen.
"I'm not sure if [Juventus] can get rid of him easily," he said.
"In fact, with the kind of money, if he still earns the €23 million ($27 million) net that he was earning at Real Madrid, and I think he equaled his wages when he went to Juventus, who's going to pay that kind of money?"
Ronaldo's current contract with Juventus expires in June 2022.
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