What is happening with Cristiano Ronaldo and Newcastle United? The links explained

Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the world’s most decorated footballers, has perhaps quite bizarrely been linked with Newcastle United in recent weeks.

The 37-year-old is searching for a new club after igniting an exit from Manchester United after he claimed in a TV interview he felt betrayed by the Red Devils and did not respect Erik ten Hag among other controversial statements.

With Ronaldo a free agent after having his contract terminated by Man United, Saudi Arabian clubs Al Nassr and Al-Hilal have reportedly approached the player’s agent Jorge Mendes, with the latter tabling a record-breaking contract offer.

The Ronaldo links explained

So, why have Newcastle been mentioned among the endless speculation?

Well, a report from the Daily Mail a few weeks back claimed Mendes had held with the Magpies. However, the prospect of Ronaldo moving to St James’ Park has been scarcely believable among supporters.

Fan concern

And since then, it’s become very apparent that United are not interested in signing the six-time Ballon d’Or winner, which is welcomed news for the fanbase.

While there is no doubting Ronaldo’s talent, albeit it is naturally declining with age, fans voiced their concern at the negative impact it could have on the dressing room.

Right now, Eddie Howe has built a strong squad, all of whom are fighting for each other. The team spirit is unbreakable and a big factor behind Newcastle’s excellent start to the Premier League campaign.

Indeed, popular midfielder Bruno Guimaraes also had a similar view when reflecting on his £35million switch from Lyon in January.

“The way I agreed to come to the club was also something remarkable,” the 25-year-old said. “Today anyone wants to come to Newcastle, the richest team in the world, but I arrived with the team doing bad, pointed out as virtually relegated.

“Trippier and I were the first to believe in the project, so fans have a special affection.

“I think Newcastle need players with that mentality, it’s not about signing everyone just because they have money. It’s not bringing Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Mbappe. It’s not like this.”

What Eddie Howe has said

Coincidentally, Howe was asked about the prospect of signing Ronaldo before his side played out a goalless draw at Old Trafford in October, and the Magpies head coach admitted it’d be a signing he’d unlikely make.

“He’s an outstanding player,” Howe said. “If you look at his goal record last year, it was incredible. For me, the transfer has worked, it’s been a success.

“He scored some massive goals last year, and some really late important goals in the Champions League. He’s still an outstanding player and should never be underestimated.

“We’re trying to provide long-term growth, we’ve got a longer-term vision. At the moment, we have quite an ageing squad, so we probably need to invest in more young players. That’s probably a big part of our progression, really.

“We need to get the average age down, so it might not be a signing that we would necessarily look to make – but not under-estimating the quality of the player.”

The wealth of Newcastle’s Saudi Public Investment Fund owners make Ronaldo to Newcastle an easy link - but a move that is very, very unlikely to come to fruition.