Oliver Kahn has once again played down reports linking Bayern Munich with a sensational move for Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo is understood to have informed Manchester United of his desire to leave Old Trafford in search of Champions League football. That is despite the Portuguese superstar only having spent one year back at the Red Devils, though it was a disastrous campaign for United.
His frustrations have led to him demanding a departure, despite the arrival of new boss Erik ten Hag. Bayern would appear to be one of the few options available to Ronaldo as he looks to find a new club this summer.
But the Bundesliga side's chief executive Kahn has continually played down those links, distancing his team from bringing in Ronaldo. And that continued on Wednesday, as Bayern officially unveiled latest signing Matthijs de Ligt.
As he introduced the Dutchman to the assembled media, Kahn was asked about the other business his recruitment team were pursuing. That obviously included Ronaldo, with Kahn left scoffing at the idea of the 37-year-old moving to the Allianz Arena.
“We have been fast on the market this summer. It is very exciting. You are asking about Ronaldo right [laughs in denial]. The window is still open for some for time and we are in talks with several players and things can still happen,” he said.
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This is not the first time that Kahn has moved to reject any suggestion that Bayern could sign Ronaldo. At the start of July, he insisted that the United star did not fit his team's philosophy under the management of Julian Nagelsmann.
"As highly as I rate Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the greatest, a transfer wouldn't be a fit with our philosophy. I love Cristiano Ronaldo and everyone knows how fantastic he is. But every club has a certain philosophy and I’m not sure if it would be the right thing for Bayern and the Bundesliga if we signed him now," he said.
Ronaldo's potential options for a new club are rapidly diminishing, with the new Premier League season just two weeks away. A move to Serie A is almost certainly off the table, as is a return to La Liga.
While Chelsea have been linked with a move for him, the Blues are currently pursuing other targets, with no other Premier League side showing serious interest. With Bayern continuing to deny any thought of a move for Ronaldo, Paris Saint-Germain would appear to be his sole option.
De Ligt is the latest of four signings that Bayern have made so far this summer, with Ryan Gravenberch, Noussair Mazraoui and Sadio Mane preceding him through the entrance. With more than £100million having been spent already by the Bundesliga champions, a big-money move for Ronaldo would be highly unlikely.
