Joan Laporta is doing this summer according to ASH an attempt to realize his dream: to bring Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo together at Barcelona. According to the Spanish sports newspaper, the chairman of the club is preparing an offer for the 36-year-old attacker of Juventus. Given the financial situation of Barça, the club has been sentenced to a possible exchange deal.
Laporta realizes his plan to bring in Ronaldo will be very difficult, but according to ASH the president is supported by the people around him. Italian media previously reported that Juventus is willing to sell Ronaldo for €29 million, but Barcelona will reportedly bet on a swap deal. The club is ready to send two players to Turin, for which Antoine Griezmann, Sergi Roberto and Philippe Coutinho are eligible.
Ronaldo’s sky-high salary can also be a stumbling block. Laporta is still figuring out how that hurdle can be overcome, but thinks that by sending two players away to Juventus, he will at least create room in the salary budget. While it will be a costly deal for a 36-year-old player, Barcelona expects the revenues will also explode if Ronaldo and Messi can be brought together. In addition, it would be a huge boost for LaLiga.
It is unclear how Ronaldo himself is facing a spicy transfer to Barcelona, after the Portuguese was under contract with arch-rival Real Madrid for nine seasons. A move to Paris Saint-Germain or his former club Manchester United seems more likely. Ronaldo will only make a decision about his future after the European Championship. On Wednesday he will play the last group match of the tournament against France.
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