In 2018, Cristiano Ronaldo joined Juventus as part of a deal that was worth 112m Euros (99.2m).
Juventus is ready to sell Cristiano Ronaldo, despite the fact that he's one of history's greatest players.
Manchester City is one of the clubs that have been in touch with Jorge Mendes, Ronaldo's agent. Some reports suggest that personal terms for external-link relationships have already been reached.
This raises the possibility that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner might play for Manchester United, his English rivals, as well as for Pep Guardiola (a manager who is synonymous with Lionel Messi).
Why is this happening suddenly? And how will he fit in at Manchester City, if the deal happens before Tuesday's transfer deadline. These questions were discussed by Raphael Honigstein and Julien Laurens, European experts at BBC Radio 5 Live. Kristof Terreur also participated in the discussion.
Why does Juventus want Ronaldo to go?
Juventus has been defeated in 16 Champions League matches in the two years since Ronaldo's arrival
Ronaldo, 36 years old, is well-known for being frustrated by the outcome of his move to Juventus. Since Ronaldo's arrival in Turin, the Italian giants have failed to reach the quarter-finals in the Champions League. In fact, the Serie A club has been beaten in 16 of the past 16 Champions League campaigns. They lost their league title last season after having won it nine times in succession. In the end, they only managed to get into the Champions League places in the final two games. Massimiliano Allegri left Ronaldo out of their starting XI when Juventus drew against Udinese in Serie A. The club claimed that this was a joint decision.
Honigstein: "Juventus really want to offload Ronaldo. There is even talk of him possibly going for free.
"I asked James Horncastle, an Italian football writer, earlier if Juventus were stronger without Ronaldo in Champions League. He said 'without Ronaldo'. This is what Juventus see of him right now, and it's not just financial. It is quite interesting to see Guardiola and City believe that he will somehow be the missing link between them and the Champions League, even though it did not work out that way at Juventus.
Laurens: "If your club is Juventus, and you know City wants him, and you also know that City have been waiting on 150m for Harry Kane to be ready, then Juventus needs that money to get in. This one is going to be sorted out pretty quickly, I believe. This one is certain to happen.
Is Guardiola's philosophy compatible with his?
Pep Guardiola was the manager of Barcelona when Cristiano Ronaldo was playing for Real Madrid
Guardiola often preferred playing without a central striker. Sergio Aguero was asked to work harder when Guardiola arrived at City. This was in order to press his opponents from the front. Ronaldo has not been able to offer this in recent seasons.
Laurens: "The fair question is - Is Ronaldo really compatible? With Pep's football and with Pep’s philosophy?" It's more of a "no" than a "yes", I think. You know that he will score many goals, even though he may not do all the movement and counter-pressing that Pep requires.
We know Pep will be leaving at the end his contract in two year's time, so it's only a temporary option. Perhaps you can make it work for Cristiano if you choose that route. Maybe it's Pep, who will adapt a bit to having Cristiano in your team as Cristiano adapts his game to Pep's."
Honigstein: He doesn't strike me as a Pep player. He doesn't seem to be someone who would like to play in a group system. This is a very strange idea, but it's exciting to all of us to see what happens.
Guardiola convinces himself that Jack Grealish, Harry Kane and the Premier League team that effectively walked it, are the only two pieces missing to solve the puzzle. This seems counterintuitive, and the decision to make Cristiano Ronaldo his teammate seems even more bizarre. It was impossible to imagine that City would choose him and we are now on the brink of such a move.
Terreur: It's odd and seems like a panic move. I have never seen clubs sign a plan B that doesn't match what they are looking for. It's a strange thing to me, but it will help the commercial phase. He will score many goals. It's not long-term thinking, and City was quite good at it in the past.
What would the effect of signing Ronaldo on any Man City Haaland bids?
An association has been made between Erling Braut Hailand and Manchester City
Norway striker Erling Branud Haaland is thought to have a 64m release provision in his contract. Guardiola has previously expressed his desire to sign Guardiola, 21.
Honigstein: I don't believe signing Ronaldo would stop City from pursuing Haaland. But it might stop Haaland stating 'City' as a viable option.
"Remember, he didn't move to Dortmund because they were more expensive or more glamorous than other clubs interested in him but because they were the only club that claimed they had a vacant spot at number nine.
They could make him the focal point. Pep and City will have a harder time convincing Ronaldo if he is present.
