Man City show interest in Cristiano Ronaldo as Juventus face financial struggles

Due to a massive cash crunch in football amongst the biggest European clubs, several top stars find themselves in the final year of their contract. One such player is Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo. Over the past day, astonishing reports have emerged, linking Ronaldo to the former club Manchester United's arch-rivals, Manchester City.

Juventus could be forced to offload Cristiano Ronaldo

With Juventus facing a massive cash crunch, it is believed that the club will require to offload players to improve their balance sheet. According to reports, the Serie A giants projected losses of €300m ($355m) over two years. As a result, Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most tracked stars as not only does he move into his final year of the contract, but also he earns the highest wages at the club. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner reportedly earns a staggering €31 million per season at Juventus.

Man City transfer news: Cristiano Ronaldo links emerge

Only a few clubs can afford such a huge sum considering the current financial situation of most clubs due to the COVID pandemic, and one such club is Manchester City. With Pep Guardiola's side failing in moving closer to sign Harry Kane, they need a striker desperately following the departure of Sergio Aguero at the end of the previous season. While Juventus are unlikely to play hardball considering their financial situation, the Serie A giants are still looking for a minimum of €25 million ($29.6m) to allow the Portuguese star to leave the club.

Cristiano Ronaldo's stats at Juventus

Since Cristiano Ronaldo's £99 million move from Real Madrid to Juventus in the summer of 2018, his scoring record has been immaculate. The Portuguese international has scored a stunning 100 goals and created 22 assists from 133 appearances across three seasons. Moreover, the 36-year old scored 29 goals in 33 Serie A outings last term to finish as the Italian league's top scorer.

Man City transfer news: Danny Ings an alternative to Cristiano Ronaldo

In the scenario that a move for Cristiano Ronaldo were to fail, Manchester City are also considering a move for Danny Ings as a replacement for the departed Aguero. Despite multiple injuries, Ings finished last season on a high as he scored 12 goals in 29 Premier League appearances. Although the 28-year old is heading into the final year of his contract, Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl is optimistic that he will not be leaving anytime soon.

While speaking to BBC Radio Solent, Hasenhuttl said, "He's our player for another year, we paid a lot of money for him. When we brought him here, we invested a lot to get him to the highest level and how he is at the moment. That's why it's never good for anybody, not for us, not for him, because you never know what can happen in football - injuries can happen, which nobody wants."