Reports: Cristiano Ronaldo linked with move to Manchester City from Juventus
Soccer megastar Cristiano Ronaldo could be headed back to the English Premier League and he's being linked to the crosstown rivals of the team where he became an icon.
According to multiple reports, Ronaldo is being linked to a transfer to powerhouse Manchester City, winners of three of the last four Premier League titles. City, which just lost former striker Sergio Agüero to Barcelona, is coached by Pep Guardiola, largely considered to be one of the top soccer managers in the world.
ESPN reported that Ronaldo and Guardiola spoke on the phone Thursday morning.
The transfer would be a seismic shift in a summer that has already seen some significant changes, none bigger than Lionel Messi leaving Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain.
Ronaldo, 36, is one of the most decorated soccer players in history. A five-time Ballon d'Or winner, Ronaldo has also won seven domestic championships and five Champions League titles in his 20 seasons in European soccer.
Ronaldo became an international soccer star in the early-mid 2000s, when he played for Manchester United for six seasons. Manchester City and Manchester United are bitter rivals. Before joining Manchester United, he played one season for Sporting CP, a club in his native Portugal.
But after he left Manchester United, he went on to star for Spanish giants Real Madrid, where he played for nine seasons from 2009-18.
As rumors have started to swirl over Ronaldo's future, he posted a message to his verified Instagram account on August 17, referring to the speculation about his future as a "disrespect."
According to FB Reference, Ronaldo has scored 479 goals in his 611 appearances in domestic campaigns.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cristiano Ronaldo linked with Manchester City move from Juventus
