Cristiano Ronaldo has been a revelation for football. He's amongst the fittest athletes in the world and has the ability to bring anyone to the edge of their seats with his speed, panache and trickery. He's also Real Madrid's record goalscorer and to be the record goalscorer for one of Europe's top clubs is saying a lot about his ability.
Given these achievements and ability, Ronaldo will cost any club in the world a fortune to employ him. Real Madrid had to shell out a record-breaking £80 million to sign him from English giants, Manchester United, but now, given his age, he's been linked with multiple clubs across Europe including the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City and Chelsea.
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However, what if the monetary aspects of signing a global superstar such as Ronaldo didn't exist, who would he join? Based purely on the way they attack and possibly something greater than just the style, here are five clubs Ronaldo could join if money wasn't a factor:
#5 Borussia Dortmund
The reason Borussia Dortmund could do well with Cristiano Ronaldo's skills is because of the way they play. Thomas Tuchel – and previously Jurgen Klopp – insisted on a high-pressing counter-attacking game that would force opponents to make mistakes rather than actually hold the ball and play possession-based attack.
In the current team, the midfield and the full-back usually play high up the pitch constantly sprinting to close down space and pressurise the opposition player on the ball. Upon stealing the ball, the likes of Shinji Kagawa, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Ilkay Gundagon and Nuri Sahin often look deep to release either one of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Marco Reus.
Both Aubameyang and Reus are speedsters who can run equally fast with the ball at their feet. And both are equally adept in putting the ball into the back of the net but imagine if Dortmund had a superstar like Ronaldo, would they really have to fight for second place in the Bundesliga? Or stay in the Europa League?
#4 AS Roma
Much like Dortmund, Roma employ a counter-attacking based formation with the likes of Radja Nainggolan, Kevin Strootman (when fit), Danielle de Rossi and Miralem Pjanic looking to release the likes of Mohamed Salah and Stephen El Shaarawy.
Yet while Roma may simply seem as a counter-attacking style, they equally frustrate opponents with the ball at their feet. Ronaldo, at Real Madrid, is not the kind of player who would dance around players with quick and short passes, he prefers the direct counter-attacking style that we're so used to seeing from the Los Blancos.
With incredible passers in the mould of Pjanic and De Rossi, Ronaldo would thrive making those diagonal runs from the left wing. The Portuguese has always known to link up with an excellent passer of the ball and Pjanic might be the kind of player he could use to exploit opposition defenders.
#3 Arsenal
“The sale of Ozil is very bad news for me. He was the player who best knew my moves in front of goal... I'm angry about Özil leaving,” said an animated Ronaldo after the German had switched the Bernabeu for the Emirates on deadline day of 2013.
Much like how we've come to see Mesut Ozil link up well with Alexis Sanchez at Arsenal, he struck up an ever better relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid. The World Cup winner assisted plenty of Cristiano Ronaldo's goals and knew every single fake and cut the Portuguese would make whilst on the ball.
Ozil and the fact that Arsenal like to break on the counter is why Ronaldo would shine at the Emirates if given the chance. It was reportedly a battle between Manchester United and Arsenal in the race to sign Ronaldo but Sir Alex Ferguson insisted he got his man ahead of his French rival, Arsene Wenger. How history might've been different had the Portuguese signed for the Gunners.
#2 Manchester United
It's hard to imagine the last few years of Sir Alex Ferguson without him embracing and motivating a young Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese man signed for the English giants from Sporting Lisbon and immediately grew to become a crowd's favourite winning a UEFA Champions League and multiple domestic titles with the Red Devils.
He still retains a close connection with the club and insists that there might come a time when he might play in the red of Manchester again. Ronaldo also insists that Sir Alex Ferguson – his manager while at United – is like a 'father figure' to him and that love extends to more than just the manager and the club but to the fans as well.
While United might not play with the high-adrenaline counter or direct attacking style Ronaldo is used to at Real Madrid, he'd still sign for the club simply because he adores it too much and that the fans and everyone related to Manchester United would welcome him with open arms.
#1 Sporting Lisbon
While Manchester United might remain a favourite in his heart, Sporting Lisbon would always take the cake when it comes to him making a choice. Ronaldo has often admitted his love for the club, he was honoured by the club in 2013 for his services. He's got a mini-museum all about him in Sporting and he became the player he is today at that club.
If that doesn't move anyone, it'll at least and most certainly move Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese joined the club as a raw teenager and was promoted quickly through the ranks until he reached and impressed the whole world with the Sporting Lisbon first team. He even scored a brace on his debut.
While Sporting are falling behind the likes of Benfica and Porto in the Primeira Liga, they still retain a high-octane pressing and direct game. Highly influenced by the footballing culture at Sporting, Ronaldo is the kind of player he is today because of the way his former team played.
