Paper Talk: Messi and Ronaldo may move in summer
Both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo could be bound for the Premier League – but Messi wants £600,000 a week to move to England.
MESSI OPEN TO PREMIER LEAGUE MOVE
Lionel Messi is open to a move to the Premier League – but he wants £600,000 to do so.
That’s the claim of the Daily Star, which says Messi’s love affair with Spain has been soured after he and his father were ordered to stand trial on tax fraud charges.
The 28-year-old would apparently favour a move to London, with Arsenal his preferred destination, but his wage demands could price him out of the budgets of even Chelsea, Manchester City and Manchester United.
RONALDO SET TO LEAVE REAL
While Messi playing in the Premier League may remain a dream, Cristiano Ronaldo could well return to England next summer.
The Daily Mail says next weekend’s Clasico will be his final at the Bernabeu, with his ‘slow divorce from Real Madrid coming to an inevitable conclusion next May.’
They refer to sources close to Real as saying the capital club want to cash-in on a player that will be 31 come the end of the season but would still command a huge transfer fee.
It is claimed that cracks in Ronaldo’s relationship with Real first appeared when he tweeted his support for Carlo Ancelotti at the end of last season, saying ‘hope we work together next season’, despite the players already knowing that the Italian would not be kept on.
Ronaldo’s relationship with new manager Rafael Benitez is said to be ‘strained by footballing differences’, and the forward’s form has suffered as a result – he has failed to score in 12 of the 18 games he has played for club and country this season.
However, Real are apparently hopeful of finding a buyer that will get ‘as close as possible’ to the £80million they paid for Ronaldo six years ago.
Ronaldo has publicly admitted not wanting to move to Qatar or MLS yet, putting the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain in the running.
AND THE REST
Manchester United scouts have been keeping tabs on Leeds United starlet Lewis Cook (The Sun)
Chelsea flop Radamel Falcao will be offered a January escape route to Valencia (Daily Mirror)
West Brom’s Saido Berahino and QPR’s Charlie Austin are among the players interesting Newcastle boss Steve McClaren (Northern Echo)
New Blackburn manager Paul Lambert will not be forced to sell star striker Jordan Rhodes (The Sun)