Man Utd star Cristiano Ronaldo ‘can only seal Atletico Madrid transfer if they let Griezmann and Morata leave’
CRISTIANO RONALDO can only secure a transfer to Atletico Madrid if they sell Antoine Griezmann and Alvaro Morata, according to reports.
Ronaldo's future remains uncertain after he demanded his £360,000-a-week Manchester United contract be ripped up.
The Portuguese superstar, 37, desperately wants to leave and join a Champions League club on a free transfer.
However, United are determined to keep the forward at least until the end of his current deal which expires next summer - although they even hope to trigger a 12-month extension until 2024.
But with Ronaldo set on having his deal terminated, there is a chance he could still join Atletico Madrid this summer.
The Spanish giants continue to monitor the situation at Old Trafford.
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According to , though, Atleti would need to get rid of both Griezmann and Morata from the wage bill to be able to land Ronaldo.
The report states they would be the pair sacrificed to fund the deal for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
But it may not be that simple.
Griezmann, 31, is still on loan at the Wanda Metropolitano from rivals Barcelona - his two-year temporary switch runs until the summer of 2023.
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Therefore, Atletico and Barca would need to negotiate a deal to break off that deal.
To make matters worse, Griezmann is happy at Atletico where he won the Europa League and Super Cup in 2018.
Morata, meanwhile, has just returned from a two-year loan at Juventus.
He proved a popular hit but the Italian giants decided against triggering the £29million option to buy the striker, especially after landing Dusan Vlahovic.
And even if Morata and Griezmann did leave to bring Ronaldo in, the recruitment would not be popular with Atletico fans.
FAN PROTEST
Supporters have already started to revolt against the idea of the Real Madrid legend joining.
A statement from fan group Union Internacional de Penas del Atletico de Madrid said the player did not align with their values.
A read: "Given the possibility that the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo is more than just a rumour we express our absolute rejection of any hypothetical incorporation into our club.
"The aforementioned player represents the antithesis of the values that are the hallmarks of our Atleti, such as effort, generosity, simplicity and humility.
"Even in the unlikely event that a player in decline such as Cristiano Ronaldo could secure a title; we would not accept his signing."
This was then followed by a banner unfurled at a pre-season match which said: "CR7 NOT WELCOME."
Ronaldo is currently back in Manchester after flying back on a private jet on Monday night ahead of showdown talks alongside agent Jorge Mendes with Erik ten Hag and Richard Arnold.
He is back in training but yet to feature for a single minute in pre-season yet with just ten days to go until the start of the Red Devils' Premier League season at home to Brighton.
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The ex-Juventus man sat in the stands on Wednesday to watch his team-mates see off Wrexham 4-1, with Christian Eriksen scoring a free-kick.
Ironically, United take on Diego Simeone's Atletico side in a friendly on Saturday.
