Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly told Real Madrid he is set to continue his career at the club following the appointment of new manager Rafa Benitez, all but bringing an end to rumours of a potential transfer to Paris Saint-Germain.

The star forward never seemed likely to leave the Spanish capital, and per the Daily Mail‘s Rob Draper, reported issues with club president Florentino Perez won’t push Ronaldo out of the door:

Cristiano Ronaldo has told Real Madrid that he wants to stay at the club next season following the appointment of new manager Rafa Benitez.

Benitez has spoken to most key players since his appointment two weeks ago and Ronaldo, who scored a hat-trick for Portugal against Armenia on Saturday night, has reiterated his commitment to the new manager despite interest from Paris Saint-Germain and past tensions with Real President Florentino Perez.

As shared by BBC Sport, the Sunday Telegraph previously claimed the Portugal international could be on his way to France, as PSG were anxious to add him to their ranks:

Such a transfer never looked likely. Not only do the French giants have financial fair play to worry about, Les Parisiens simply don’t have the stature of Los Blancos. Ronaldo is one of the best players in the world, and he belongs at a club of Real’s caliber. PSG are a great club, but they sit a level below the 10-time European champions.

The 30-year-old finished his 2014-15 campaign with a fantastic performance for his country against Armenia, scoring a hat-trick to lead Portugal to a 3-2 win. Football writer Barney Ronay thought the star forward moved more freely than he does for Real, something Benitez undoubtedly spotted as well:

Under former manager Carlo Ancelotti, Ronaldo was a massive success, but Benitez has always relied heavily on his creative players up front and should be aiming to get the most out of Ronaldo.

Benitez loves his wingers, but according to AS (h/t Real Football Family), the former Napoli manager plans to move Ronaldo to the centre of the pitch and use him as a striker:

While Ronaldo has the sheer quality and body type to be successful as a striker―or anywhere else on the pitch for that matter―he has always been at his best as a wide man, cutting inside from the left wing and using his speed to run past defenders.

At the age of 30, Ronaldo has developed his playing style, and it seems like a risky decision to ask him to change that. Ronaldo is too talented a player not to build your system around, and in all likelihood, Benitez will continue playing him in a wider role, giving him the freedom to roam.

That leaves Karim Benzema as the logical choice to play the striker position unless the club goes after a new No. 9.

 

Mauro Icardi Reportedly Eyed

According to AS‘ Javier G. Matallanas, that striker could be Inter Milan‘s Mauro Icardi, who is next in the line of Real’s targets if a move for Manchester City‘s Sergio Aguero fails to materialise:

The Argentinian was last season’s joint-top scorer in Serie A with 22 goals and recently committed his future to the Nerazzurri, per Football Italia:

Inter are looking to build their team around the 22-year-old, and with a new contract under his belt, it seems unlikely he would consider leaving Milan during the summer.

The Nerazzurri have been in a downward spiral in recent years, however, and were hit with financial fair play sanctions earlier this year, reported by Sky Sports. If Los Blancos were truly keen to land the young forward, they could present his club with the kind of offer they simply couldn’t refuse, given their current situation.

Icardi is a favourite of Benitez, per Matallanas, and he has earned his stripes in Serie A. Like Benzema, he has a powerful build and reads the game very well, using his positioning and awareness to find the open spaces inside the box and finish chances.

He’s opportunistic in front of goal and rarely misses when he has space, and while he lacks the height of players such as Alvaro Morata and Fernando Llorente, he’s more than capable in the air. Icardi also isn’t a bad passer of the ball, although he falls well short of Benzema in that department.

Icardi likely wouldn’t start over Benzema, who has proved himself to be a world-class striker during his time with Los Blancos, but as a young backup and rotational player, the Inter man has a lot of value. He’s young and still has plenty of time to develop, and Real don’t currently have a backup for Benzema who brings the same kind of scoring touch as the Frenchman.

Convincing Inter to sell wouldn’t be easy, but for the right price, the Nerazzurri will be tempted to cash in and balance their books.

 

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