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Jorge Mendes, Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo's agent, has approached Serie A side Napoli for a move, according to Sky Italia (via Fox Sports).
It is no secret that Ronaldo wants to leave Old Trafford to play in the UEFA Champions League. Due to United's sixth-placed finish last season, they will be competing in the UEFA Europa League in the ongoing term.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been linked with multiple European giants, including the likes of Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Bayern Munich, but all those clubs have publicly rejected the chance of signing the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
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In a desperate attempt to secure a move to a Champions League side, Jorge Mendes has approached Napoli. The Serie A giants will be competing in Europe's premier club football competition this season.
The Serie A outfit have been drawn alongside Ajax, Liverpool and Rangers in Group A of the tournament. According to the aforementioned source, the super agent is trying to fork out a swap-deal which will see Napoli forward Victor Osimhen move to Manchester United.
The Red Devils have been in search of a new forward all summer long and are currently in talks with Ajax to secure the services of Brazilian forward Antony.
A move to Serie A makes sense for Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese forward has previous experience of playing in the Italian league whilst representing Juventus from 2018 to 2021.
Ronaldo scored 81 goals and provided 17 assists from 98 appearances in Serie A. He even lifted the Scudetto twice with the Turin-based club.
However, the swap deal is not expected to be straightforward for all parties concerned. Napoli are set to demand cash plus Cristiano Ronaldo to sell Victor Osimhen to Manchester United.
Despite rumors linking Osimhen to Old Trafford, his agent Roberto Calenda has denied these stories. He said (via Fox Sports):
“There are no negotiations or swap deal talks in progress. Osimhen’s Napoli player and he wants to play Champions League with Napoli, he’s proud of being in the UCL."
Cristiano Ronaldo needs regular game time at Manchester United or somewhere else
Cristiano Ronaldo does need regular game time to stay match fit for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The 2022 FIFA World Cup is Ronaldo's final chance to win international football's biggest honor and will have to be in perfect shape when the tournament commences in November.
Ronaldo needs game time and is finding it difficult to secure it at Manchester United. So far, the Portuguese forward has started just once in the three league games so far.
Last week against Liverpool, Ronaldo could only secure a four-minute cameo off the bench. Manchester United did win 2-1 on that occasion.
