Atletico Madrid have reportedly met with Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes to discuss a potential move for the player.
TYC Sports has reported that Atletico manager Diego Simeone is eager to manage Ronaldo and wants his club to sign the Portuguese superstar.
It is worth noting that the Rojiblancos faithful have made it abundantly clear that they are not in favor of signing Ronaldo due to his close ties with Real Madrid. However, Edu Aguirre, a Spanish journalist and Ronaldo's close friend, has reported that Simeone has already made contact to sign the forward this summer.
Additionally, the Atletico hierarchy are rumored to have met with Mendes to work out a transfer.
Ronaldo reportedly wants to leave Manchester United this summer due to a lack of UEFA Champions League football in the 2022-23 campaign. With less than two weeks left for the transfer window to shut, it remains to be seen where the Portuguese forward plies his trade this season.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has also been linked with moves to Borussia Dortmund and his former club Sporting CP. Barcelona and Bayern Munich were also linked with Ronaldo earlier in the summer.
Diego Simeone refuses to shed light on Cristiano Ronaldo rumors
Simeone was asked about a possible move for Ronaldo prior to his team's La Liga opener against Getafe last weekend. The Atletico Madrid boss gave a professional answer and said (translated from Spanish):
"It is normal that the controversy, the turns and the intentions so that one positions oneself or on one side or the other has to be and it is part of what you need to work on. As for me, I think of Getafe, of the footballers who are here inside and the only thing that matters to me and worries me is that."
Ronaldo's return to Manchester United has not worked out
Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford last summer in a bid to help the club win silverware. However, the 2021-22 campaign was a massive flop for the Red Devils as they finished sixth in the league and failed to go deep into any of the cup competitions.
Ronaldo had a personally successful season, netting 24 goals in 38 games across competitions, but those numbers didn't contribute to the team's success. He still has another year left on his current contract at Old Trafford. Manchester United notably have the option to extend his deal by another 12 months if they want to.