Report: Mourinho doesn't want Manchester United to sign Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo and Jose Mourinho may not be having that reunion at Old Trafford after all.
Amid swirling reports that Ronaldo wants to leave Real Madrid and return to Manchester United, comes a fresh report from Spain's Marca that Mourinho is not in favor of a big-money move to sign the reigning Ballon d'Or winner. The two overlapped at Real Madrid from 2010-2013, winning one La Liga title and a Copa del Rey. The two are also bound by fresh tax fraud allegations, with Ronaldo set for a July 31 court date over $16.5 in unpaid taxes and Mourinho facing accusations of $3.6 million in unpaid taxes, with both cases related to image rights earnings.
According to reports, Ronaldo's treatment in Spain over the allegations has led to wanting a departure, despite winning three of the last four Champions League crowns with the club. Only a handful of teams can afford Ronaldo, though, taking into account both the prospective transfer fee and his wages. His agent, Jorge Mendes (who also represents Mourinho), claimed in 2015 that his release clause is over $1 billion. While Real would settle for less, it would still likely command a world-record outlay, and Marca claims that the financial commitment for a 32-year-old plus Mourinho's preference to sign Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid instead mean a Ronaldo return to Manchester United is not likely to be in the cards.
The two also clashed during their time together at Real Madrid, making matters even more complicated. Real Madrid, for what it's worth, appears to be doing what it can to retain Ronaldo, with manager Zinedine Zidane reportedly reaching out to calm the star's worries and pitch him on staying put.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez made his first remarks about Ronaldo's stunning revelation in an interview with Spain's Onda Cero radio, indicating that he is not looking to offload his star.
“I do not want to draw conclusions. I know Cristiano. He's a great guy and a professional. All this is very strange,” Perez said. “I have not spoken with him since [the Champions League final in] Cardiff. I've heard everything through the newspapers. Not I nor anyone at Madrid is contemplating that Cristiano could leave the club. We are very relaxed about this. I have not spoken to any [other clubs]. No one has made us a single offer–not for Cristiano Ronaldo, not for Alvaro Morata, not for James Rodriguez.”
