Report: Ronaldo eager to leave Real Madrid amid tax fraud investigation
The silly season is about to get outright ridiculous with news that Cristiano Ronaldo allegedly wants to leave Real Madrid this summer.
The Portuguese star is reportedly eager to part ways with Real Madrid and leave Spain due to his frustration with an investigation by Spanish tax authorities, according to BBC Sports' Dan Roan, who adds Ronaldo is "really upset." The report echoes news agencies in the player's homeland.
Ronaldo is under investigation after being accused of defrauding Spanish tax authorities of €15 million, it was revealed earlier this week. Real Madrid released a statement defending the superstar.
Initial word of his apparent unrest came out of Portugal on Thursday, with daily newspaper A Bola indicating Ronaldo's made an "irreversible" decision to leave Spain over the way he's been treated during the investigation.
The news is a shock to Real, according to Jose Felix Diaz of Spanish outlet Marca, which says it verified the report out of Portugal. Officials are reportedly scrambling to calm Ronaldo down and convince him to remain at the club.
A bid worth €180 million could be enough to convince Real to sell Ronaldo, according to Marca, but such an offer has yet to be submitted.
In 2015, Real said @Cristiano had a €1bn release clause. Not changed.
— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) June 16, 2017
Ronaldo, who signed a five-year contract in November 2016, seemed to respond to the allegations via his Instagram account after his agency issued a statement refuting the claims.
Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are the early favourites to land the 32-year-old, according to Marca. He's also expected to attract interest from clubs in China, but he's more likely to go to PSG or a Premier League club if he does leave Real, Roan reports.