HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST TO SIGN CRISTIANO RONALDO?

Reports in the Portuguese press claim the 32-year-old forward is set on a summer move - but what would it take to sign him and who could afford it?
Reports in the Portuguese press claim the 32-year-old forward is set on a summer move - but what would it take to sign him and who could afford it?

The four-time Ballon d'Or winner is enjoying the best spell of his career since signing for Los Blancos, having helped his club to a first Liga title since 2011-12 and also a third Champions League crown in four seasons. His important goals en route to those two trophies make him odds-on favourite to win a fifth Ballon d'Or later this year.

Off the pitch, however, the Portuguese has been accused of evading €14.7 million in taxes and it is a perceived lack of support from his club that is allegedly behind his decision to leave Madrid.

Ronaldo's release clause is set an a prohibitive €1 billion after the Portuguese signed a contract extension last November. That deal was supposed to keep Cristiano at the Santiago Bernabeu until 2021 and he told the Madrid media at the time that it would not be his last deal with the Spanish side.

That figure is almost 10 times more than Manchester United paid for Paul Pogba last summer to break the world transfer record and no club would be able to offer that sort of money without breaking Financial Fair Play regulations.