Cristiano Ronaldo: Atletico Madrid & Bayern Munich play down transfer links

Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich have both publicly distanced themselves from Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo after the Portugal international’s crunch talks over his future.

After missing United’s pre-season tour for personal reasons, Ronaldo returned to Manchester on Tuesday to meet with those in charge at Old Trafford and discuss his future. The 37-year-old wants to leave to play Champions League football, but United are reluctant to let him go.

Suitors for Ronaldo are limited, with Atletico, Bayern and Chelsea the three main sides in the conversation – although all three have publicly distanced themselves from a deal.

Nevertheless, reports linking Ronaldo to all three continue to surface, with Atleti and Bayern again going public to clarify their stance.

Firstly, Atletico president Enrique Cerezo insisted: “I don’t know who has invented the story of Cristiano , but it is practically impossible for him to come.”

While Atleti dismissed a move for financial reasons, Bayern director Oliver Kahn chose to focus on his belief that Ronaldo would not be a good fit for the team.

“We discussed Cristiano Ronaldo internally,” Kahn admitted to Bild. “I consider him one of the greatest footballers ever.

“But we came to the conclusion that, despite our appreciation for Cristiano, he would not fit into our philosophy in the current situation.”