PSG open talks to sign Cristiano Ronaldo as Kylian Mbappe replacement
By Tom Gott
Paris Saint-Germain have reached out to Juventus over a deal to sign forward Cristiano Ronaldo, who could replace Kylian Mbappe if the Frenchman joins Real Madrid.
Real have been focused on signing Mbappe for years and are finally planning to move for him this summer, leaving PSG to draw up a shortlist of replacements which has included Tottenham's Harry Kane and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah.
Well, there's a new name on the shortlist as several outlets across Europe have confirmed that Ronaldo has been bumped up to the top priority.
The idea of Ronaldo joining PSG was floated out by La Gazzetta dello Sport on Wednesday and has since been backed up by AS, with both reports suggesting new Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri is not particularly interested in keeping the high-earning superstar.
The reports claim that Ronaldo has wanted to leave Juventus for a while now, with the Italian side also exploring ways to get out from his enormous contract. It's the kind of contract we usually say only PSG could afford, and here we are.
Allegri has made it clear that he hopes to build his attack around Paulo Dybala and Alvaro Morata, and he also dreams of adding former Inter hitman Mauro Icardi to his new-look attack - something PSG could turn into a reality.
Juventus have asked for Icardi as a straight-swap for Ronaldo, or a fee of around £25m if that doesn't work for PSG, with the French side seriously considering pulling the trigger on the enormous deal.
It's thought that PSG want to see Mbappe's future resolved first. They dream of tying the forward down to a new long-term contract but know full-well that Real Madrid are waiting in the wings to snap him up, and those at the Parc des Princes see Ronaldo as a perfect alternative if they do lose their talisman.
Having said that, for the kind of money Juventus are looking for, there's a good chance PSG could go for this deal even if they keep Mbappe. It might be a bit of a squeeze to fit his wages into the budget, but selling a handful of fringe players on top of offloading Icardi could get the job done.
For now, it's worth keeping a close eye on Mbappe's future. It seems as though the Frenchman holds the key to this entire monster merry-go-round. If he seals his move to Real as expected, all hell could break loose.