In a recent report, El Nacional mentioned that Barcelona have set their sights on Cristiano Ronaldo. It has been claimed that the Catalan club’s president Joan Laporta and super agent Jorge Mendes have held a “three-way meeting” to bring the Portugal international to the Nou Camp.
Ronaldo’s Tough Campaign In English Football This Season
Ronaldo experienced a difficult and controversial season at Manchester United before he left the club by mutual consent recently. He is currently making his nation, Portugal proud in the 2022 FIFA World Cup which is taking place in Qatar at the moment.
The 37-year-old has found the back of the net six times and picked up four assists in 23 matches for his club and country this season in all competitions. Ronaldo has made most of his appearances for the Red Devils off the bench during this campaign.
However, the Portuguese superstar has done well to average 2.5 shots and 0.6 key passes per 90 minutes in the Premier League. He has even been tidy with his ball distribution after completing 76.6% of his attempted passes in the top tier of English football (stats via whoscored).
Should Barcelona Boss Xavi Get Ronaldo On Board Next Year?
Ronaldo remains a deadly finisher in the final third when he is playing well on the field. He can also link up play well with others around him but can be a spectator at times when the opposition have the ball. Still, there is no denying the 193-time Portugal international’s quality in front of the opponent’s goal.
Barcelona should definitely consider moving in for Ronaldo if they can convince the player to serve as an understudy to Robert Lewandowski at the Nou Camp.
Otherwise, it won’t make much sense for both Ronaldo and the Catalan club to go ahead with any deal as he will struggle to earn regular starts for them in La Liga.
At 37, the experienced Portugal international has entered the final stage of his playing career. Still, if Barca can make the finances work, Ronaldo could be a good, short-term option for them to consider next year.
Ronaldo has got the experience and winning mindset to help the Catalan giants get back to challenging for major trophies this season. Hence, Xavi would be wise to get him on board on a free transfer soon as long as the Portuguese forward is willing to sacrifice his first-team privileges in the second half of this campaign.
