Danny Townsend, the manager of the A-League, has made an effort to entice Cristiano Ronaldo to the Australian top division while acknowledging that it might not be able to compete financially with other offers for the disgruntled Manchester United star.
Ronaldo’s future at United is up in the air after he said he felt ‘betrayed’ by the Premier League club and had no respect for its manager Erik ten Hag in an interview with Piers Morgan.
Townsend told Australian media on Thursday that he had made an offer to Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, in case Ronaldo parts ways with United.
‘(Ronaldo) said he wasn’t getting any love and respect at Manchester United but we’ll certainly give him plenty of love and respect in Australia,’ Townsend said in comments published by News Corp.
🚨 The A-Leagues have made contact with Cristiano Ronaldo’s representatives! 😱
“We’ve certainly registered our interest in bringing him to Australia,” CEO Danny Townsend told SportsFM 91.3.
Nani x CR7 at Melbourne Victory…? 🤔#OptusSport #ALeague pic.twitter.com/GY5KsAPp9j
— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) November 17, 2022
‘We might not be able to compete financially with other offers but we can compete in other ways.’
Ronaldo’s former United team mate Nani joined A-League club Melbourne Victory this season.
Ronaldo, the leading scorer in the history of men’s international football with 117 goals in 191 official matches, is preparing to lead Portugal in Qatar in his fifth World Cup.
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‘Obviously it’s a long shot but we’ve certainly got a compelling proposition for him here in Australia to consider,’ Townsend told local radio station SportsFM earlier on Thursday.
Should the A-League complete a sensational swoop for Ronaldo, the 37-year-old would be the most high-profile star to ever compete in Australia’s domestic competition.
The likes of Alessandro del Piero, Dwight Yorke and David Villa have all represented clubs Down Under, but Ronaldo’s arrival would top the lot.
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