Cristiano Ronaldo linked with a shock move to Champions League club ahead of next season

Cristiano Ronaldo has been linked with a shock move to a Champions League club this summer

Reports have surfaced linking Cristiano Ronaldo with a surprising move to a Champions League club this summer.

Following his departure from Manchester United by mutual consent in November 2021 and subsequent groundbreaking transfer to the Saudi Pro League, it seemed Ronaldo’s European career had reached its conclusion.

Despite this, Ronaldo has maintained his prolific form in Saudi Arabia, recently notching a hat-trick for Al Nassr against Al Wehda, bringing his tally to an impressive 47 goals for the season in 46 appearances across all competitions.

According to journalist Alhazza Mutab, Ronaldo’s consistent goal-scoring exploits have piqued the interest of Bayer Leverkusen, Europe’s most in-form team. The Bundesliga champions, currently on track for an undefeated season, reportedly have their sights set on securing the services of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner in the upcoming transfer window.

Interestingly, Ronaldo has purportedly been endorsed by Leverkusen’s manager Xabi Alonso, who previously played alongside the Portuguese superstar during their time at Real Madrid.

The likelihood of Ronaldo entertaining a return to Europe remains uncertain, given his vocal praise for the standard of the Saudi Pro League since joining.

In January, when questioned about the level of competition in the Saudi top tier, Ronaldo remarked, “To be honest, I think the Saudi League is not worse than the French league, in my opinion. In the French league, I think you have two, three teams with a good level.

In Saudi now, I think it’s more competitive. They can say whatever they want, it’s just my opinion, and I played there for one year so I know what I’m talking about. But I think right now we are better than the French league; we still improve.”

These comments suggest that Ronaldo holds a favorable view of the Saudi Pro League and may not be eager to return to European football at this time.