Ronaldo to Atletico Madrid: Has Man United star convinced Diego Simeone to sign him?

In a shocking development, legendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly expected to make a shock move to Atletico Madrid after reports in Spain suggested the Manchester United star has convinced manager Diego Simeone to sign him. The 37-year-old had earlier this month reportedly made his desire to leave Old Trafford very clear this summer and play Champions League football.

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The Portuguese icon's super-agent, Jorge Mendes, is constantly speaking to clubs. It now appears that Ronaldo may have found a suitor in Atletico after Bayern Munich reportedly rejected the chance to snap the forward as Barcelona-bound Robert Lewandowski's replacement.

According to Spanish outlet Diario AS, Atletico's boss Diego Simeone is a keen admirer of Ronaldo and wants to bring him to Madrid. The 52-year-old sees the Portugal talisman as 'number 1' or a serial winner and would love to add him to his team's arsenal.

The report added that the striker has convinced Simeone to sign him during the transfer window as Ronaldo's representatives held discussions with the Argentine boss and persuaded him to bring the iconic player back to La Liga.

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Last season Atletico Madrid struggled to score goals, which resulted in them dropping down the league table. If Ronaldo's transfer comes through, it will come as a bombshell deal considering the icon's legendary spell at Real Madrid. The Portuguese star scored 450 goals during his stint with the Los Blancos and beat Atletico Madrid in two Champions League finals. But he now could be about to call the Metropolitano Stadium home in a sensational turn of events.

Adding Ronaldo to Atletico's attack would boost their goal output and give them a greater chance of winning La Liga. However, the report states that due to the club's financial situation, they would need to raise around 40 million euros through sales to facilitate Ronaldo's signing.

The reported link with Atletico Madrid comes a day after Ronaldo rejected claims that he was making a stunning return to his boyhood club Sporting CP. However, despite reported interest from clubs like Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, United have remained firm that Ronaldo is not for sale, with Erik ten Hag publicly claiming that he is in his plans for next season.

The 5-time Ballon d'Or winner still has another year to run on his current contract at Old Trafford but is yet to report for pre-season training. The 37-year-old was absent from the Red Devil's tour of Australia as he figures out the next move of his legendary career. Meanwhile, Ronaldo, who scored 24 goals across all competitions last season, has been conspicuously silent, with reports adding that the star has been ignoring calls in recent times. Will he join Atletico Madrid? Time will tell.

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