City set sights on Juve Ace Ronaldo

LONDON • Cristiano Ronaldo could be a potential option for Manchester City after their pursuit of Tottenham striker Harry Kane ended on Wednesday.

With Spurs unwilling to budge from their £150 million (S$279 million) valuation and Pep Guardiola's side not prepared to match it, the England captain said he would stay at his boyhood club this season.

Ronaldo has been linked with a return to England, this time for the blue half of Manchester, and while no official bid has been made, it was reported that City are weighing up a possible offer for the former Manchester United star.

The Juventus forward is out of contract next summer and the Serie A club are open to letting him leave to save on his £500,000-a-week wage before tax.

However, one stumbling block is that Juve also want a reported £25 million fee and not the free transfer City are hoping for.

According to Sky Italia, City are considering a two-year contract at €15 million (S$24 million) annually if there is no fee involved.

If the price proves to be prohibitive, Juve are happy for Ronaldo to see out his deal and over the weekend insisted the Portuguese would be staying in Turin.

Guardiola has also stated his happiness with his squad's strength in depth even if no additional signings are made but with the transfer window closing on Tuesday, there may yet be more movement.

City have already broken the English transfer record this window, spending £100 million on Jack Grealish to add to a forward line already boasting Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden, Ferran Torres, Riyad Mahrez and Gabriel Jesus.

Guardiola's team won the Premier League last season and are chasing their fourth English crown in five years, and while they are not short of attacking options, they can still do with a specialist attacker who can play centrally.

Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic has also been linked to City, while there could be a domino effect across Europe should Paris Saint-Germain decide on the unlikely sale of French forward Kylian Mbappe.

Meanwhile, Guardiola is likely to leave City when his contract expires in 2023 as he wants to take a break before venturing into international football, the Catalan said on Wednesday.

"The next step will be a national team, if there is a possibility," he told Spanish daily Marca.

"After seven years at this club, I think I'm going to have a break. I will need to rest after being somewhere so many years and also stop to evaluate what we've done.

"If, during this process of stopping, there is a chance to coach a national team, then I'd like that. I'd like to coach at a European Championship or Copa America or World Cup. I'd like to experience that."

A week that Cristiano Ronaldo, 36, is earning before tax at Italian giants Juventus.

Separately, City yesterday suspended Benjamin Mendy after police confirmed he has been charged with four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

He has been remanded in custody ahead of an appearance at Chester Magistrates' Court today.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS