Cristiano Ronaldo Linked With Chinese Club Tianjin Quanjian as European Options Run Dry

Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly attracting interest from the Chinese Super League as his future at the Bernabeu grows increasingly uncertain.

In has been heavily rumoured in recent weeks that Ronaldo is seeking a new contract from Real to return him to the status of highest paid player in the world as both Lionel Messi and Neymar have overtaken the Portuguese in that respect since his last extension.

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But it has equally been speculated that ​Real are unwilling to meet his demands. Ronaldo is contracted to the club to 2021 as it is, while his recent form and Los Blancos‘ disappointing ​La Liga campaign mean it isn’t the time to be rewarding him with a bumper new contract.

For the first time in his career, Ronaldo, soon to turn 33 years of age, doesn’t hold the power.

He has been linked with Paris Saint-Germain and ​Manchester United, but the five-time Ballon d’Or winner doesn’t offer any real value to the European giants. Step forward, China.

According to expert transfer journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Chinese Super League club Tianjin Quanjian are keeping tabs on the situation and could make Ronaldo an offer.

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It would, however, require some shuffling on their part as Tianjin already have four foreign players and only three are permitted to play at any one time under Chinese Super League rules.

Brazil’s Alexandre Pato, Belgium’s Axel Witsel and France’s Anthony Modeste are the star overseas names, while Tianjin also signed South Korea international Kwon Kyung-won in 2017.

The ‘+ 1’ rule which permitted clubs to use a player from another Asian country in addition to their capped foreigners was scrapped at the end of 2016, meaning Kwon is part of the quota.

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