Atletico respond to Cristiano Ronaldo transfer claims with options running out

Atletico Madrid are reportedly not interested in signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United because the transfer is 'not economically viable'.

It's claimed the veteran forward, 37, wants to join Diego Simeone at Atletico and keep his hopes of winning a sixth Champions League trophy alive. United will play in the Europa League this coming season after finishing sixth in the Premier League last term.

Ronaldo would generate plenty of controversy if he joined Atletico. The Portugal international is Real Madrid 's record scorer with 450 goals and would leave United - a club close to his heart - in the lurch after new manager Erik ten Hag confirmed he's part of his plans.

As reported by Spanish outlet Marca, Atletico can't afford Ronaldo's salary, which saw him take home £480,000 per week last season. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has one year left on his contract and almost certainly need to take a pay cut if he wants to leave before its expiration date.

Links between Ronaldo and Atletico are likely to continue as manager Simeone admires the player and needs more firepower from his front line. Just two Atletico players scored more than 10 goals last season, with neither of those breaking the 15-goal barrier.

Ronaldo would certainly bring goals to Atletico's attack. He has scored over 800 senior goals for club and country, including 18 in the Premier League last season.

Do you think Cristiano Ronaldo will join Atletico Madrid? Let us know in the comments below!

That being said, Atletico already have five strikers on their books - including Joao Felix, Antoine Griezmann and Angel Correa. The La Liga hopefuls would need to sell players to make room for Ronaldo before a transfer can be realistically considered.

Germany is another potential destination for Ronaldo as he continues to be linked with Bayern Munich. The Bundesliga champions have just sold Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona and could give Ronaldo the chance to win the Champions League again.

Yet the club's CEO Oliver Khan has played down these rumours. "I love Cristiano Ronaldo, [he's a] fantastic player but every club has a philosophy and I'm not sure if it would be the right signal for Bayern and Bundesliga if we signed him now," the ex-goalkeeper told Bild. "Such a move does not necessarily fit with our ideas."

Bayern's sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has also confirmed the club's stance on Ronaldo. "I have a lot of respect for Cristiano Ronaldo, his successes and his career," Salihamidzic told SPORT1. "But once again, that was and is not a topic for us."

Speaking earlier this month, Ten Hag confirmed Ronaldo wasn't for sale. The forward has missed the club's pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia and it's unclear when he will link up with his teammates once again. He is training on his own in Portugal ahead of the new season.

"He is not with us due to personal issues," insisted Ten Hag. "We are planning with Cristiano Ronaldo for this season. That is it. I am looking forward to working with him. Cristiano is not for sale. He is in our plans. We want success together."