December 28th was Día de los Santos Inocentes in Spain, which is their traditional equivalent to April Fools’ Day.
There were, as ever, several big stories from the Spanish media about football, all of them fake. And, again as ever, they travelled around the European media before many realised what was going on.
One of the claims involved Cristiano Ronaldo and a potential move to Barcelona. That all turned out to be fake, and that’s likely where it should have been left, but Catalan newspaper Sport aren’t having that.
Today they publish an article saying Ronaldo is ‘fed up’ at Manchester United and isn’t happy with his current situation. It’s explained the Portugal international is frustrated with erratic sporting decisions at Old Trafford, and that Ralf Rangnick’s arrival hasn’t brought the stability that had been hoped for.
Sport then go on to say: ‘Jorge Mendes’ excellent relationship with Joan Laporta and Mateu Alemany and the need of Xavi Hernandez to add goals means it wouldn’t be that strange to see Cristiano Ronaldo’s name linked to Barcelona. Ronaldo, with his Man United contract until 2023, has shown he still has the killer instinct. His is a name that Mendes will put on Barcelona’s table if he can.’
This all feels like pot-stirring, at best.
Given how Barcelona have struggled to register Ferran Torres, having to extend Samuel Umtiti’s contract, and done some creative accounting, just to be able to do so, then they’d clearly find it hard to register Ronaldo.
This one feels like the typical Catalan media Ronaldo-stirring, it’s just not Día de los Santos Inocentes this time.
