One of the biggest superstars in world sport can’t find a club. Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave Manchester United. But no buyer has yet been found. Ronaldo is expensive – and now 37 years old.
Some Borussia Dortmund fans are raising money for a signing of Ronaldo. With a crowdfunding campaign, the organizers have set themselves the very ambitious goal of collecting 40 million euros in order to be able to lure the Portuguese into the Bundesliga.
The already very unrealistic plan should have been done: Dortmund has signed Anthony Modeste from 1. FC Köln as a replacement for Sébastien Haller, who is suffering from a testicular tumor. Ronaldo wants to continue playing in the Champions League, the Premier League club has not qualified for the premier class.
Last weekend, Manchester lost to Brighton in their Premier League season opener at their home stadium of Old Trafford
United apparently have Marko Arnautovic in mind as a replacement for Ronaldo, who is willing to change. According to information from transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio, the “Red Devils” have already made an initial offer of around nine million euros for the 33-year-old. Arnautovic played for Werder Bremen from 2010 to 2013 and was called “Astronautovic” because of his attitude and scandals.
“It’s true that there is an offer from a well-known club,” confirmed brother and advisor Danijel Arnautovic to the Austrian “Kurier”. And further: “I am in contact with Bologna to see if this can be realized.”
Arnautovic’s club FC Bologna probably rejected the first offer. There could be further negotiations. It could be difficult for United: in Bologna they praise Arnautovic as a key player.
Arnautovic only switched to Bologna FC from Shanghai Port last summer. He scored 14 goals in 33 Serie A games. Arnautovic played for Twente Enschede between 2006 and 2010. His then manager Steve McClaren is now assistant manager at United. And his assistant coach at the time, Erik ten Hag, is now the head coach at ManU.
In addition, the attacker has an England past. He has already played on the island for six years (four years with Stoke City and two years with West Ham United). So he knows the league very well.
However, United legends Gary Neville and Roy Keane commented on “Sky Sports” critical of a possible change of the Austrian international. Neville said: “I have input into everything in the world – except Manchester United signing Marko Arnautovic. I have nothing to say about that.”
Then he goes on: “Falcao, Ibrahimovic, Cavani, Ighalo – we’ve all seen these desperate transfers in the last eight to ten years, it’s a pattern.”
Arnautovic keeps causing scandals. He is said to have once said to a policeman in his homeland: “I earn so much, I can buy your life. I am something higher than you.” At the EM 2021 in the game against North Macedonia he insulted his opponent Ezgjan Alioski because of his Albanian origin.