From Rivals To Teammates? Agent Offers Ronaldo To Messi-Led Barcelona, Claims Soccer Pundit

Jorge Mendis has offered Cristiano Ronaldo to FC Barcelona, according to Spanish soccer expert Guillem Balague.

Mendis, a renowned soccer agent, represents some of the best talents in the sport such as Ronaldo, James Rodríguez, Ángel Di María, and Diego Costa.

Ronaldo, who moved from Real Madrid to Juventus in the summer of 2018, has been impressive the last two seasons after having scored 65 goals in 89 competitive appearances for the Italian giants. He scored 37 goals in the 2019-20 season, but Juventus managed just the Serie A trophy in an otherwise below-average campaign. Juventus faced Lyon in the Champions League’s Round of 16 but The Old Lady crashed out on away goals. According to talkSPORT, Juventus saw their worst run in 2019-20 when compared to their previous nine seasons they saw the sacking of manager Maurizio Sarri.

Even before Juventus’ season ended, there had been rumors about Ronaldo’s exit this summer. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was even linked with Chelsea at one point. It was recently reported Mendis has approached French champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) with Ronaldo’s deal.

In a conversation with BBC Radio 5 Live, Balague explained Ronaldo’s current transfer situation citing Juventus want to get rid of him from their wage structure. This is a result of the club’s financial crisis that has come up due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Balague, who is also a sports expert, author, and pundit, went on to add that Ronaldo’s agent Mendis has offered his client to several clubs including Barcelona.

"The reason why Cristiano Ronaldo has been linked to PSG is not so much because PSG are thinking of getting him. It’s because Jorge Mendes has been giving instructions to actually find a team for Ronaldo. We’ve seen this in the last six months, he was linked to Real Madrid, Madrid said ‘No chance, he’s not coming back’. You talk about MLS and all that because Juventus wants to get rid of that wage. It’s as drastic as that. He’s been offered everywhere, including Barcelona," Balague told BBC Radio 5 Live.

Balague also insisted that Mendis won’t find a club for Ronaldo easily that would be willing to pay the player the kind of money he currently earns at Juventus.

"I’m not sure if they can get rid of him easily. In fact, with the kind of money he still earns, he still earns $27 million net that he was earning at Madrid and I think he equaled his wages at Juventus. Who’s going to pay that kind of money?" added Balague in the same interview with BBC Radio 5 Live.

Meanwhile, this news could be exciting for the fans as it gives them an opportunity to believe they may get to watch Messi and Ronaldo – two of the greatest players of this generation – together as teammates, something that never seemed possible because of their intense rivalry over the years.