Simeone leaked audio shows true feelings on Ronaldo amid Atletico rumours

Diego Simeone's previous comments suggest he would pick Cristiano Ronaldo over Lionel Messi amid the Portuguese superstar's links with Atletico Madrid.

The Manchester United forward has expressed a desire to leave Old Trafford this summer despite spending less than 12 months back at the club. Ronaldo made his return last year but his goals could not stop United from enduring a forgettable campaign, which eventually saw them finish sixth in the Premier League.

It means no Champions League football in the season to come as Erik ten Hag leads a rebuild, so Ronaldo wants to play his football elsewhere, although his options are limited. He enjoyed a trophy-laden spell at Real Madrid from 2009 until 2018, yet is now being linked with their cross-city rivals Atletico.

Simeone has led them for over a decade, seeing a host of players come and go. Any move for Ronaldo would no doubt be hugely divisive among fans and be at odds with the team-orientated mentality that is employed at the Wanda Metropolitano.

However, the Argentine coach has previously hinted that he would pick Ronaldo over his compatriot Messi in a team environment. Back in 2018, in a leaked WhatsApp audio message, he said: "Messi is very good but he is very good because he is accompanied by extraordinary players. But if you had to choose between Messi and Ronaldo for a normal team, who would you choose?"

Despite Simeone's comments, Ronaldo came in for criticism last season for allegedly upsetting the team dynamic at United. He arrived on the back of a second-place finish, but United were unable to build on that as they tumbled down the table. Persistent rumours of infighting came out of the club whilst Ronaldo was regularly slammed for appearing to put himself first when it came to being benched or subbed off.

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Ronaldo has also been linked with the likes of Chelsea and Bayern Munich. The Blues were keen and new owner Todd Boehly held talks with agent Jorge Mendes as he looked to make a marquee signing. However, Thomas Tuchel was not keen and opted against green-lighting the move, while Bayern have also ruled out a swoop.

Sporting Lisbon, the club where Ronaldo began his career, have also been cited as an option, but the player himself poured cold water on reports of a move back to Portugal, labelling them as "fake". The 37-year-old has made clear his desire to play on at the top level for several more years.

New United boss Ten Hag is keen to have Ronaldo at the club and had been planning for the Portuguese star to be around during his first season at the helm. Ronaldo continues to be absent from the club's pre-season tour.