Cristiano Ronaldo Could Partner Lionel Messi Next Season As Big Changes Are Mooted For PSG

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi have been Ballon d'Or rivals for over a decade but they could be teammates next season, according to a sensational report from the UK.

Ronaldo rejoined Manchester United from Juventus last year, but his return to the Theatre of Dreams has not yet been overly dreamy.

United have been knocked out of both domestic cups and started February 19 points below neighbors Manchester City in the Premier League.

According to British newspaper The Mirror, Ronaldo has told his agent that he is ready to leave Old Trafford before the end of his contract, which runs until 2024.

It is further claimed that Paris Saint-Germain are still interested in signing Ronaldo, who celebrated his 37th birthday at the weekend, despite his age.

PSG are expected to lose star striker Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid this summer when the French forward's contract expires.

Losing one of the finest young talents in world soccer on a free transfer is likely to dent the pride of PSG's mega-rich owners. Ronaldo could conceivably be the short-term antidote.

Replacing Mbappe with Ronaldo would certainly make a statement and cause PSG's global following to swell further.

But as good as a frontline of Messi, Ronaldo and Neymar would be commercially, it is questionable as to whether the trio with a combined age of 102 would be able to help PSG reach their primary on-field goal of winning the UEFA Champions League.

Neymar, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo pictured together at the 2015 Ballon d'Or awards ceremony

IMAGO/MIS

As well as player transfers, there may be a change in the PSG dugout this summer. The Mirror reports that there is growing support among the Parc des Princes hierarchy for the idea of replacing current head coach Mauricio Pochettino with Zinedine Zidane.

Zidane coming in to work with Ronaldo could make sense, after the pair won three back-to-back Champions League titles together at Real in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

That would leave Pochettino out of a job though. But according to The Mirror, United still want him at Old Trafford, leaving the door open to Ronaldo and Pochettino effectively trading places this summer.