Hold on to your hats MLS fans. It appears that several MLS clubs are hunting for Cristiano Ronaldo, according to the French media outlet Mercato. Fans of Ronaldo know that there is a new rumor of his possible departure from Real Madrid every few months. However, these latest rumors have a lot of traction.
Ronaldo continues to shatter records in La Liga with Madrid, yet he grows continually unhappy with manager Rafa Benitez. Players that struggle to get along with their coach never stay on a team for long. Even with Madrid flying high above La Liga and UEFA Champions League play, there is a growing thought that Ronaldo would have greater luck moving to MLS than another European club, according to NBC Sports.
The reason for that? Why send one of the best players to another team that could use him to win a European championship, especially when Madrid are looking for the same trophy. It does not make sense to send him to Manchester United or Paris Saint-Germain, instead a move to MLS would eliminate any European club from benefitting from his talents.
Ronaldo carries a massive buyout clause ($1.5 billion) for any club looking to secure his services before his contract expires in 2018. The chances of any team in all the world actually having enough money to spend on Ronaldo is insane. Because he does cost so much, it makes sense for MLS clubs like New York City FC, LAFC, LA Galaxy and others to wait until his contract expires, according to MLSSoccer.com.
There is no official word on Ronaldo coming to MLS, but there is a very good chance he moves to the United States before retiring. Even at 30, Ronaldo can run with the best of MLS and dazzle fans with his clinical goalscoring and incredible free kicks.
