After winning the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League, Cristiano Ronaldo shocked the world by announcing that the final against Liverpool would be his last game for Real Madrid. The Portuguese legend ultimately decided to join Italian giants Juventus, but he had several opportunities to join Paris Saint-Germain and form a formidable trio with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
Following his sudden announcement, numerous clubs scrambled to secure Ronaldo during the 2018 summer transfer window. Juventus emerged as the front-runner, offering €117 million to sign the 33-year-old striker. While the Serie A side won the race for his signature, it wasn’t the only project that caught Ronaldo’s interest.
According to his former Manchester United teammate Patrice Evra, Ronaldo was intrigued by PSG’s project before Juventus came knocking. “Did Ronaldo ever want to come to PSG? Yes. This was before he signed with Juventus. He had options of Chelsea, Juventus, PSG, Arsenal… he said he would never go to Arsenal and was interested in the Parisian project,” Evra said to RMC Sport.
Evra also emphasized that Ronaldo’s adaptation to Ligue 1 would have been seamless, just as he has adjusted to life at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. “They can criticize Cristiano, but he would have adapted. He would have made an effort. Look at what he is doing in Saudi Arabia. He is a Saudi now,” the French legend strongly stated.
PSG, already intent on assembling a star-studded team to boost Ligue 1’s global appeal and compete for the Champions League, saw Ronaldo as a potential marquee signing. Known as “Mr. Champions,” Ronaldo would have perfectly complemented Neymar and Mbappe, potentially creating one of the most lethal attacking trios in soccer history. However, Juventus ultimately swooped in to secure the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Neymar and Mbappe: The possible obstacles to PSG signing Ronaldo
Juventus shocked the soccer world not only by signing Ronaldo but also by investing such a substantial fee for a 33-year-old player. While PSG’s financial power is well-documented, their ability to match Juventus’ offer may have been limited by UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.
At the time, UEFA’s FFP rule prohibited teams from exceeding a €30 million deficit between transfer spending and revenue (later raised to €100 million in 2022). During the 2017-18 season, PSG had already broken transfer records, signing Neymar for €222 million and securing Mbappe on a loan deal with a mandatory €180 million buyout clause for the 2018-19 season—the same summer Ronaldo left Real Madrid.
Submitting a comparable offer to Juventus for Ronaldo would likely have breached FFP rules, exposing PSG to harsh sanctions. For this reason, the French club could’ve possibly refrained from pursuing the Portuguese superstar.
