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Barcelona is plotting a sensational move to sign Cristiano Ronaldo and play him alongside Lionel Messi, Spanish newspaper reports

Jun 22, 2021, 18:55 IST
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Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi. Getty/David Ramos
  • Barcelona president Joan Laporta wants to bring Cristiano Ronaldo to the Camp Nou.
  • "He is dreaming of bringing Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo together," according to Spanish newspaper AS.
  • Ronaldo's future at current club Juventus is uncertain after a frustrating 2020 campaign.
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FC Barcelona president Joan Laporta wants to bring Cristiano Ronaldo to the Camp Nou to join forces with Lionel Messi.

That's according to Spanish journalist Javier Matallanas, who says Laporta is out to create footballing history by bringing the modern game's two greatest players together.

Ronaldo's future at Juventus is currently uncertain after a frustrating season for both player and club.

Juventus produced its worst Serie A finish in a decade, ending the campaign in fourth before manager Andrea Pirlo was sacked and replaced with the club's former manager Massimiliano Allegri.

Allegri, who was in charge of Juventus when Ronaldo first arrived at the club in 2018, reportedly wanted to "get rid" of the Portuguese superstar in 2019.

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Ronaldo is also believed to have fallen out with a number of club's other stars, many of whom are reportedly unhappy with the perceived special treatment he gets.

According to the Italian media, the divide was heightened when the 36-year-old was allowed a day off training to visit the Ferrari car factory to buy a new $2 million supercar.

Ronaldo endured a difficult 2020/21 season at Juventus. Getty/DeFodi Images

Amid the disarray over Ronaldo's future, Matallanas says Laporta wants to pounce and bring Ronaldo to Barcelona.

"With Messi's future pretty much sorted, last week Laporta let his imagination run wild and began to think about a deal that sounds impossible," he wrote in Spanish newspaper AS.

Laporta said last week that Messi, who tried to leave Barcelona last summer, is ready to sign a new contract, however that financial regulations are preventing the the club from making an announcement.

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It was reported in January that Barcelona is in $1.4 billion worth of debt and on the verge of bankruptcy.

"He is dreaming of bringing Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo together at Barça," Matallanas, a well-respected voice in Spanish soccer, continued.

"Alongside his closest aides, Laporta began to map out a move that would go down in footballing history: fielding a team boasting the two stars who have dominated the men's game for the past decade and more.

"As part of Laporta's bold plan, Barça would offer two players to Juventus, with Antoine Griezmann, Sergi Roberto, and Philippe Coutinho thought to be among those in contention to go to Turin."

Matallanas added that while Ronaldo currently earns $37 million per year, if Barcelona can find a way to pay his wages, the club's revenue "would be doubled by having Ronaldo and Messi in the same team."

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"Laporta's idea has been met with enthusiasm by those around him. It's a long shot, but even thinking about bringing Ronaldo and Messi together is a stroke of genius," he said.

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