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With his exit from Old Trafford confirmed, GOAL takes a look at which clubs may be interested in signing the five-time Ballon d'Or winner

"There was no other choice," as Wayne Rooney elegantly put it recently. As soon as Cristiano Ronaldo took the decision to reveal all in an 'interview' with professional wind-up merchant Piers Morgan, it was evident that his second spell at Old Trafford was destined to come to a messy end.

Football stops for no one though, and within minutes of his exit being confirmed the rumour mill had already begun churning out possible landing spots for the only free agent playing at the World Cup.

But where will he land? Will he stay in the Premier League? Is there a Champions League club willing to give him a chance? Or will he leave Europe for the first time in his career?

If you're struggling to keep track of all of Ronaldo's options, GOAL has you covered…

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  PSG

  Lionel Messi and Ronaldo, together at last?! If this one comes off, there's a good chance it good break the internet. However, you shouldn't get your hopes up just yet.

  Not only are PSG ridiculously stacked up front already, it's hard to imagine de-facto sporting director Kylian Mbappe signing off on Ronaldo's arrival. He'd likely butt heads with Messi and Neymar too.

  We know PSG love star power, but this might just be overkill.

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  Roma

  Few managers have got more out of Ronaldo than Jose Mourinho, and the Roma boss would likely jump at the chance of a reunion – especially considering Tammy Abraham's recent struggles in front of goal.

  Unfortunately for the Special One, club director Tiago Pinto seemed to quash these rumours before they even had time to pick up traction in November.

  "One of the things that irritates me about Italy is that they are constantly talking about the transfer market," he told the Thinking Football Summit.

  "The truth is that Cristiano Ronaldo was never a possibility. These rumours had no foundation. But in Italy they talk every day about three different players linked with your club. I understand it was natural to link us because Mourinho and I are both Portuguese, and so is Cristiano. But as I said, there was never any substance in it."

  Perhaps he'll change his mind now there's no transfer fee to pay…

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  Arsenal

  Arsenal finally resemble a functioning football club this season, but that has not stopped onlookers touting Ronaldo for a move to the Emirates Stadium.

  It is very, very, very difficult to envisage this happening, though. Mikel Arteta has very publically iced out well-paid veterans like Mesut Ozil and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang recently, and Ronaldo simply does not fit Edu's recruitment profile.

  It's a bit of a ridiculous notion to be honest.

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  Napoli

  Napoli have been the surprise package in Europe this season, romping to an eight-point lead in Serie A without losing a game.

  Gli Azzurri aren't the best of friends with Juventus – one of the forward's former clubs – so his arrival would likely rub some supporters up the wrong way. Additionally, Luciano Spalletti's success this season has been a result of a collective effort.

  Would bringing in a 37-year-old Ronaldo upset the balance? Most probably, yes. There's also a question of whether Napoli could even afford him in the first place.

Manchester City and Pep Guardiola could be set to receive a huge boost in the coming weeks, after it was revealed that Raheem Sterling is in talks over a new deal with the Citizens.

According to Fabrizio Romano, following the announcement that Kevin De Bruyne had signed a new deal with the club, the Citizens’ next priority is to negotiate new deals with both Sterling and Gabriel Jesus.

The Englishman’s current contract with City is set to expire in 2023, so any extension to that will perhaps see Sterling spend the rest of his career at the top with the Citizens, as he continues to impress following his move from Liverpool.

Since signing from the Merseyside outfit in the summer of 2015, the exciting winger has gone on to make 283 appearances for City, in which he has contributed a superb 113 goals and 86 assists.

Whilst this season has seen him lose his guaranteed starting spot in the starting eleven, he still has 13 goals and 11 assists to his name in all competitions, so is clearly still a hugely important part of Guardiola’s squad.

His recent form, and finishing, has certainly come under scrutiny but his average rating of 7.24/1o in the Premier League so far this season ranks him as City’s fifth-best performer in the top-flight.

There is no doubting that the 26-year-old, who reportedly earns £300k per week, is on a disappointing run of form, with no goals for City in any of his last seven appearances, but it is surely a matter of time before he gets his confidence back and starts finding the net on a more regular basis.

Guardiola is certainly a big fan of the former QPR youngster and was full of praise for him earlier in the season, saying:

“We’ve seen him play on the right, off the left, and as a false nine – you can rely on Raheem every time he steps on the pitch in terms of goals and assists. That’s a remarkable thing. He started as a flair player, now all of a sudden, Raheem gets you those numbers.”

Therefore, it will undoubtedly be a huge boost for City if they can get Sterling to commit to a new deal at the club and perhaps once the negotiations are dealt with, he will quickly get back to his best.

And, in other news… Forget Mendes: Txiki should seal City swoop for 26 y/o dubbed “one of the best”

Carlo Ancelotti should urge Everton to make a move to sign Andrea Belotti in the summer transfer window, amid claims the striker is considering his future with Serie A side Torino.

What’s the word?

According to Corriere Dello Sport, Belotti is refusing to sign a new contract at the Olympic Grande Torino Stadium despite the efforts of President Urbano Cairo.

The 27-year-old is set to enter the final year of his current £68,000-per-week deal in June, but is beginning to show an interest in a move away after six seasons with Il Toro.

Everton were credited with an interest in Belotti earlier this month by Corriere Granata, who claimed the forward also had suitors in Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United plus at least five sides in Italy and a handful from Germany and Spain.

Corriere Dello Sport anticipate AS Roma and AC Milan to make efforts to sign Belotti in the off-season should he leave Torino, where he is the captain of Davide Nicola’s side and has 11 goals and six assists in 26 Serie A appearances this term.

It is noted that Belotti would consider a move to the Stadio Olimpico as he is fascinated by the city of Rome and the work of CEO Tiago Pinto in rejuvenating Paulo Fonseca’s squad, despite the Giallorossi not being expected to have Champions League football next season.

The 32-cap Italy striker is also understood to have a number of friends in the Roma dressing room from the national side, but Pinto will not pursue a deal should Milan present an offer worth €25m (£21.5m) as predicted.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/the-latest-everton-news-and-views” title=”The latest Everton news and views!”]

Pinto will only pursue Belotti under certain conditions, while doubt also remains in the future of Fonseca and potential successors Maurizio Sarri, Julian Nagelsmann or Sergio Conceicao may not be as fond of a move for Belotti as the Portuguese.

Should Everton sign Torino’s Belotti?

Any hesitancy from Roma in pursuing a deal for Belotti should be seen as a huge boost for Everton and Ancelotti, as the Goodison Park natives are likely to be in the market for a new centre-forward this summer and the Italian represents an ideal candidate to target.

The Toffees are not expected to retain Joshua King beyond the short-term contract he signed upon his arrival in the winter transfer market, while claims have arisen that offers will be considered for Cenk Tosun and Moise Kean.

Ancelotti would not be expected to regret letting King – plus Tosun or Kean – leave in the summer if the Italian has Belotti at his disposal, especially if he is available for around a quarter of his €100m release clause (£86.5m) for foreign sides.

Torino boss Nicola lauds Belotti for being a “unique” forward and appreciates the UC AlbinoLeffe product for his “technical qualities but also for his spirit”, which have seen him score 103 goals and provide 25 assists in 219 career Il Toro appearances in all competitions.

Veteran Torino midfielder Tomas Rincon also praises Belotti for his drive and work in harrying opponents, as the 5 ft 11 forward “has given us so much joy with his goals”.

And, former England number one Joe Hart dubbed the forward as “special” and with an “instinct for goals”, while Torino president, Urbano Cairo, hailed him as a “real captain”.

Ancelotti should implore Everton to sign the £36m-rated Belotti in the summer when he waves goodbye to King, and hire a true challenger who can push Dominic Calvert-Lewin to perform at his best and help sustain the Toffees’ European qualifying challenge.

AND in other news, Everton have eyes on a “very good” £3.5m-rated forward available on a free transfer…

The 1996 African Cup of Nations winners now face their biggest test of 2022 when they clash against the reigning world champions

Bafana Bafana will be hoping to secure a confidence-boosting win over France in Tuesday's international friendly match at Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

The game comes four days after coach Hugo Broos' men drew 0-0 against Guinea in another friendly game

Broos said he would make major changes to the team that started against Guinea, mentioning the names of Nyiko Mobbie and Fagrie Lakay.

GOAL predicts how the Belgian could select his starting line-up against France.

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  GOALKEEPER – Ronwen Williams

  The Bafana captain was not even on the bench against Guinea as Broos gave Veli Monthwa a chance.

  Williams is now expected to be back as the coach could field his strongest team possible.

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  RIGHT-BACK – Nyiko Mobbie

  Mobbie has been one of the most preferred players under Broos and the coach said he would start the Sekhukhune United defender.

  That would see Khuliso Mudau sitting on the bench after the Mamelodi Sundowns star impressed against Guinea.

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  LEFT-BACK – Lyle Lakay

  Lakay tasted just five minutes of action after coming on as a late substitute to replace Terrence Mashego who had started against Guinea.

  But Lakay could be in the line-up to be fully assessed as this camp marks his first time with the national team under the current technical team.

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  CENTRE-BACK – Rushine de Reuck

  The Mamelodi Sundowns central defender played the second 45 minutes against the Syli National.

  But having always been a starter under Broos, De Reuck is likely to be in the line-up.

Tuttosport have trimmed their list of the best young players in the world to 20, with the likes of Matthijs de Ligt and Vinicius Junior nominated

The final 20 nominations for the 2019 Golden Boy have been announced, as some of Europe's top young players battle it out for the award.

The prize, which is distributed by Italian newspaper , rewards the most impressive player aged under the age of 21 to be playing in a European top tier in each calendar year.

Previous winners include Lionel Messi, Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe, with the 2018 award picked up by Matthijs de Ligt.

The Juventus defender is back in the running 12 months on, but has some tough competition if he is to retain the title.

Check out all the nominees below…

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  Matthijs de Ligt

  Age: 20

  Position: Centre-back

  Club: Juventus

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  Alphonso Davies

  Age: 18

  Position: Winger

  Club: Bayern Munich

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  Gianluigi Donnarumma

  Age: 20

  Position: Goalkeeper

  Club: AC Milan

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  Ansu Fati

  Age: 16

  Position: Forward

  Club: Barcelona

The sight of a keeper going forward in the last moments is one increasingly common in the modern-day game but only a few live the dream of scoring

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  Alisson Becker

  Alisson Becker became the first Liverpool goalkeeper to score for the club when he scored the incredible last-minute winner in a 2-1 victory over West Brom to keep the Reds' top four hopes alive.

  The game was heading into the final minute of stoppage time with the score 1-1 with Liverpool having a corner. Alisson ran up the field and headed Trent Alexander-Arnold's shot into the goal beautifully – a glorious strike for any player, let alone a goalkeeper!

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  Peter Schmeichel

  Arguably the greatest goalkeeper of the Premier League era, the Great Dane was a shot-stopper who characterised his bold Manchester United side with a love of going forward. He had cultivated this before he moved to Old Trafford, scoring six league goals for Hvidovre and twice for Brondby. 

  His only goal for United came against Rotor Volgograd in the UEFA Cup and he became the first keeper to score a goal in the Premier League, albeit he was playing for Aston Villa by this stage of his career.

  In total, he netted 10 times, including once for his national team, while son Kasper, who plays for Leicester, has shown himself to be a chip off the old block, having scored a brilliant diving header against Yeovil Town in 2014.

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  Jose Luis Chilavert

  Paraguay international goalkeeper Jose Luis Chilavert is one of the most renowned goalkeepers in the history of the game for finding the net.

  Over the course of his career, he scored 59 club goals, finding the target in Paraguay, Argentina, Spain, France and Uruguay. Additionally, he scored eight times in 74 outings of his national team.

  He managed to find the target so regularly thanks to his acumen over set pieces, and he was a notable free-kick target especially for Velez Sarsfield, with whom he scored 48 goals over a 10-year career.

  Perhaps the most remarkable match he played saw him net a first-half penalty against River Plate, only to concede one against Roberto Bonano – the opposing goalkeeper – in the second half.

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  Rogerio Ceni

  Rogerio Ceni is undoubtedly the greatest goalkeeper of all time when it comes to finding the net. Over a career that tallied 22 years, he scored an astonishing total of 131 goals, having established himself as a centrepiece of Sao Paulo, with whom he spent the duration of his professional life.

  When he first arrived in the team on a regular basis in 1997, his ability from a dead ball was already well know, but it could not have been predicted that he would go on to become quite so prolific.

  Indeed, his figures stack up well against most midfield players, with the 2005 season a particular standout as he managed an astonishing 21 goals over the course of the year. 

The Reds are set for a clearout as the transfer window closes in the next fortnight – but who is on their way out of Anfield?

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  1Connor Randall – Defender

  This home-grown defender was on the bench for Klopp's first game as Liverpool boss, and made his debut soon after. He has been with the club's U-23 side this summer after returning from a productive loan spell with Hearts in Scotland, and looks set for a return north of the border. St Mirren, managed by former Everton boss Alan Stubbs, look the likeliest suitors. 

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• 2Pedro Chirivella – Midfielder

  The Spanish midfielder has played a handful of senior games for the Reds, but spent last season on loan at Willem II and will be allowed to leave if the right offer arrives. Both Swansea and Nottingham Forest have made enquiries, with Liverpool ready to demand as much as £5m if the deal is to be a permanent one. Chirivella, who was signed from Valencia back in 2014, is also well rated on the continent, with teams in the Netherlands and Spain also monitoring.

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  3Ben Woodburn – Midfielder

  There are people at Liverpool who believe this lad will play many, many games for the first team, but right now it looks as if his path is somewhat blocked at Anfield. Mind you, he's still only 18 and has a level-headed nature. He told Goal recently that he'll do whatever Klopp thinks best for him, and there is a growing feeling at Anfield that a loan move may be what he needs. Norwich and Sheffield United are the frontrunners, but there will be at least a dozen clubs that would take the Wales international. 

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  4Sheyi Ojo – Winger

  Another talented youngster, Ojo is attracting interest from pretty much the entire Championship having enjoyed a promising but ultimately frustrating spell at Fulham last season. The England U-20 World Cup winner has shown glimpses of his undoubted talent at Anfield, even during this pre-season campaign, but it's hard to see a path into the first team for him at present. Liverpool, who will use the fees paid for the likes of David Brooks, James Maddison and even Richarlison as barometers for the market, reckon they could get up to £15m ($20m) for him if they were to sell. They did so with Jordon Ibe, after all.

Steven Gerrard has teased a transfer drive as Glasgow Rangers target more success in the future – namely playing in the Champions League.

Gerrard teases transfers

Last Sunday, Glasgow Rangers’ status as Premiership champions was confirmed as Celtic could only draw 0-0 with Dundee United. Finishing top of the league means they have a chance of reaching the Champions League group stages, and they may even qualify automatically depending on their European results for the rest of the campaign.

Speaking following Thursday’s 1-1 draw with Slavia Prague in the Europa League, Gerrard revealed the Ibrox outfit will aim to recruit ahead of the new term. He said (via The Daily Record):

“Let’s hope so. It’s obviously been the dream since day one and I’d love nothing better than to try and deliver that for the supporters.

“What’s important is there will be private conversations. Recruitment never stops here, we all understand that football is all about levels and to keep progressing and moving forward you have to keep fine tuning and adding.

“Everyone’s on the same page, top to bottom. Everyone is sharing the dream, everyone wants to continue to add to the success.

“Everyone is hungry to keep improving things here, that is the message that everyone needs to hear.”

Needed

The Gers have been in fantastic form so far this campaign. They have lost just one game in all competitions (Sky Sports) – in the League Cup against St. Mirren – and have been by far the best side north of the border. However, the Champions League is a whole different kettle of fish.

If the Gers want to be successful in that competition, they must bring in new faces during the summer. The rise in quality will be sharp, and therefore improvements must be made. Gerrard and Ross Wilson have a busy summer ahead of them.

In other news, Rangers fans react to this Sky Sports news.

Crystal Palace have reportedly opened talks over a Bosman move for exciting young defender Radu Dragusin.

What’s the word?

According to The Evening Standard, Dragusin could yet be persuaded to leave Juventus with his representatives holding initial talks with Roy Hodgson’s side over a summer move.

The Romanian centre-back, 19, is out of contract at the end of this campaign, having made four appearances across all competitions this season thus far, per Transfermarkt.

Dragusin, who made his debut in Juventus’ 3-0 win over Dynamo Kyiv in the Champions League last year, has caught the eye in recent weeks, with Premier League rivals Newcastle and Tottenham also said to be interested in his services.

Planning for the future?

The highly-rated teenager certainly looks like a big prospect for the future, and he could be an exciting addition for Palace, with The Evening Standard claiming they’ve already started discussions about bringing him to Selhurst Park.

Despite his age, Dragusin cuts a tall and imposing figure, and has cited Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk as a source of inspiration.

With interest in the Romania U19 international starting to heat up, it seems like Palace are starting to plan for the future, amid rampant speculation over Hodgson’s future.

It’s no secret that the Eagles have the oldest squad in the Premier League, with every single centre-back currently above the age of 30.

Whilst admittedly very little is known about the Romanian, his manager Andrea Pirlo has made no secret of his admiration of the young defender, saying:

“He’s physically very strong. He’s very young and must develop on a technical level, but he will have time to do it, training every day with great champions.”

This sort of physical strength would be most welcome in south London and to be able to nab a prospect with so much potential could be a shrewd bit of business by Steve Parish if he can beat other Premier League clubs to this up-and-coming talent.

Given his age, Dragusin could be Palace’s starting centre-back for years to come if Parish can bring him to Selhurst Park and he is able to hit the ground running.

AND in other news, Crystal Palace suffer significant injury setback with Roy Hodgson unsure when Wilfried Zaha will return…

Spurs return to Premier League action on Saturday afternoon as they face a tough trip to the Etihad to face league leaders Manchester City.

Pep Guardiola’s side have now won 15 games in a row in all competitions and are comfortable at the top of the Premier League, so Spurs will have to be at their best if they want to avoid defeat against the Citizens.

Jose Mourinho’s side triumphed in the reverse fixture at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, winning 2-0 despite the visitors dominating the game, which will give them confidence ahead of Saturday’s late kick-off.

However, the 5-4 defeat against Everton in midweek suggests that changes are likely, as the Portuguese manager is unlikely to have been happy with his side’s defensive efforts at Goodison Park.

Here’s how Football FanCast expects Mourinho to line his side up at the Etihad, with three changes from the side that started against Everton…

Hugo Lloris keeps his place in between the sticks, despite struggling in midweek against Everton.

There are two changes to the defence, as Serge Aurier looks to be in contention to return at right-back after missing the game against the Toffees through injury, and he replaces Matt Doherty.

Eric Dier replaces Toby Alderweireld at the heart of the defence, in the hope that he can tighten things up alongside Davinson Sanchez, who deserves to keep his place after scoring a brace against Everton.

Mourinho should not be afraid to attack at City and should therefore go with a double pivot of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Tanguy Ndombele, with Lucas Moura playing ahead of them as a central attacking midfielder, a role he excelled in against West Brom recently.

In the final change, Erik Lamela drops to the bench, with Harry Kane starting up front, and the Englishman is supported by Heung-Min Son and Steven Bergwijn on the wings.

And, in other news… Spurs striker’s future in doubt after WBA omission; Jose has had enough