Cristiano Ronaldo will join Psg but only if Man Utd fail in £72.5m Gareth Bale bid

Cristiano Ronaldo wants to join Paris Saint-Germain next summer

CRISTIANO RONALDO'S move to Paris Saint-Germain will rely heavily on Real Madrid team-mate Gareth Bale, according to Spanish football expert Guillem Balague.

 

Ronaldo is believed to already have a ‘strategy in place’ to leave Real next summer to join the Ligue 1 giants, despite the Portuguese forward saying he wants to retire at the Bernabeu.

And Balague says the deal will depend on whether Real can depend on and keep hold of Bale, who has been linked with a £72.5million move to Manchester United.

“Quite clearly [Ronaldo's move to PSG] will depend on Gareth Bale,” he said.

 

"[Real president] Florentino Perez realises now is the time to sell, but will Bale be strong enough to take on the responsibility of being the leader of Real Madrid?

“Yes, he’s had important games but he’s missed 20 per cent of Real’s games through injury, so can he did it consistently enough?

“I think he can, I think he’s prepared. I’ve watched Wales play and in Bale I see a guy who is powerful, who can attack on his own and is a leader.

 

Real Madrid will allow Cristiano Ronaldo to leave if Gareth Bale proves himself

“Bale’s people went to Florentino and told him, ‘unless you give him a central role, we’re going to Manchester United’.

“The promise from the club was that he would get that central role, and the briefing to Rafa Benitez was, ‘I know you’re the coach, but we’ve got a guy here that needs more responsibility.’

“Bale is being tested to see if he can replace Ronaldo, and if they feel halfway through the season that is the case, then Ronaldo can go.”