Blockbuster Cristiano Ronaldo transfer to Wrexham ‘not impossible’ as Ryan Reynolds is told how move can happen
Wrexham owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have been why they can one day bring world football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo to the Racecourse after former Arsenal and Chelsea defender William Gallas told them ‘nothing is impossible’.
The Welsh side have been on a remarkable journey back up the football pyramid since the Hollywood superstars took ownership of the club back in November 2020, sealing successive promotions from the National League back into League One, where they currently sit second with six wins and two draws from their 10 games played so far.
With everything that Reynolds and McElhenney touch seemingly turning to gold at Wrexham, supporters are dreaming big and wondering just how far their ambitious owners can take them.
And while it is very much one step at a time, former France international defender Gallas has suggested there will come a time in the future when he can see Ronaldo enjoying a career swansong at the north Wales side.
“Anything is possible in football in the modern game, it wouldn’t surprise me because money talks and we’ve seen that nothing is impossible these days,” Gallas said. “You see young players going to Saudi Arabia when they would’ve have ever left Europe in the past.
“Footballers and football clubs are now obsessed with their brands too and their sponsors, you can make a lot of money and not just from your wages at your club. Now everything is about social media and having millions of followers, both Wrexham and Cristiano Ronaldo have huge profiles so why not.
“Cristiano Ronaldo is more than just a footballer, he’s a product and he’s also still scoring so many goals on the pitch, there will be so many clubs still happy to have him.”
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Will Al-Nassr be Ronaldo’s final club?
At 39 years of age, Ronaldo may no longer be in the conversations about winning the Ballon d’Or but he is still a more than capable goalscorer, having netted 72 goals in 79200 games since signing for Al-Nassr and having recently surpassed the 900-goal mark across his senior career.
Now into his third season in Saudi Arabia, Ronaldo’s current deal – worth an estimated £1.3m a week – is due to expire in 2025, after the Pro-League season.
The 214-cap Portugal international has outlined his wishes to extend that arrangement beyond then in the hope of making Portugal’s 2026 World Cup squad, which would make him the first player in history to feature in six FIFA World Cups.
Whether he could be tempted to make another move elsewhere, or even enjoy a career finale in north Wales remains to be seen. Certainly, Wrexham would probably have to be playing at a slightly higher level to tempt the player, while there would need to be a lot of creative thinking put into how they could meet his wage demands.
Ronaldo, for his part, appears to be fully focused on ending his career with the Riyadh side. Speaking in August, he said: “I don’t know if I will retire soon, in two or three years, but probably I will retire here at Al-Nassr.”
The player has also admitted he no longer chases records but is just enjoying his time in the game.
“It is not important anymore whether I am the best or not, I no longer care about that,” he told the Portuguese media after scoring against Scotland in last month’s Nations League match.
“It is good for a player to score goals, but for me, it is better for the team to win.
“I am used to breaking records and I no longer look for them. The most important thing for me now is to enjoy and help Al-Nassr and my teammates to win.”
Ronaldo’s incredible career in numbers
Considered one of, if not the greatest player of all time, Ronaldo has set an avalanche of records over a stellar 22-year playing career.
A five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Ronaldo is the all-time top goalscorer for his country, the record appearance maker, as well as the top scorer in Real Madrid’s history.
His record over his career reads:
Sporting Lisbon (2002-2003): five goals in 31 appearances
Manchester United (2003-2009): 118 goals in 292 appearances
Real Madrid (2009-2018): 450 goals in 438 appearances
Juventus: (2018-2021): 101 goals in 134 appearances
Manchester United (2021-2023): 27 goals in 54 appearances
Al-Nassr (2024 -) 72 goals in 79 appearances
Portugal (2003 -) 132 goals in 214 appearances