Danny Townsend, CEO of the A-League, has launched a pitch to bring Cristiano Ronaldo to Australia’s top flight, but has confessed that the club may not be able to compete financially with competing bids for the dissatisfied Manchester United striker.
Ronaldo provoked outrage this week when he said in an interview with Piers Morgan that he felt “betrayed” by the Premier League club and had no regard for his manager Erik ten Hag.
The 37-year-old has expressed a desire to leave Old Trafford in recent months, and his departure now appears to be a foregone conclusion after the 2022 World Cup.
While Chelsea and Bayern Munich have been mentioned, Townsend has told Australian media that he has made an offer to Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes.
“Ronaldo stated he didn’t get much love and respect at Manchester United, but we’ll surely give him plenty of love and respect in Australia,” Townsend said, according to News Corp.
“We may not be able to compete with other proposals monetarily, but we can compete in other areas.”
Nani, a former Manchester United teammate, is currently playing for Melbourne Victory in the A-League.
Ronaldo, the all-time greatest scorer in men’s international football with 117 goals in 191 matches, is set to lead Portugal in his fifth World Cup in Qatar.
“Obviously it’s a long shot, but we’ve got a compelling pitch for him to consider here in Australia,” Townsend told local radio station SportsFM earlier Thursday.
