"Cristiano Ronaldo made me fall in love with Real Madrid" – Los Blancos star opens up on 'interest' in Spanish giants

Real Madrid forward Rodrygo has said that Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo played a key role in his love affair with the La Liga giants.

Rodrygo, who joined Real Madrid from Brazilian side Santos in 2019, has grown by leaps and bounds in the last three seasons. Becoming a key first-team player in Carlo Ancelotti's team, he registered nine goals and 10 assists in 49 appearances across competitions last season.

Speaking to ABC ahead of his contract renewal till 2028, the 21-year-old opened up about his admiration for Ronaldo. He said:

"Cristiano Ronaldo made me fall in love with Real Madrid. I already liked it, but it was with him that I became most interested in Real Madrid."

Ronaldo, who terrorised defenders for nine years in a white shirt between 2009 and 2018, is the La Liga club's all-time top-scorer with 450 goals in 438 games across competitions. During his stint at the Santiago Bernabeu, he won two La Liga and four UEFA Champions League titles among others.

Meanwhile, the Portuguese striker is currently involved in a transfer saga after expressing his desire to leave Manchester United this summer (as per News18). Amid interest from Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, he is currently on leave from training with the Red Devils due to family reasons.

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Real Madrid look to refresh squad this summer

Ahead of the 2022-23 season, Los Blancos are looking to revamp their squad to bolster their chances of continuing their domestic and continental dominance. The La Liga outfit have signed midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni and centre-back Antonio Rudiger this summer.

After the departures of forward Gareth Bale, full-back Marcelo and midfielder Isco, Madrid are now keen to facilitate the outgoings of other fringe players. According to Marca, Luka Jovic, Mariano Diaz, Borja Mayoral, Jesus Vallejo, Reinier and Takefuso Kubo are likely on their way out of the Santiago Bernabeu.

Meanwhile, the club are are open to listening to offers for out-of-favour forward Marco Asensio. According to Caught Offside, the 26-year-old is on the radar of multiple Premier League teams, including Liverpool and Arsenal.