Could Ronaldo be on his way to Roma?

The 2022/23 season will be crucial for Roma as they prepare to battle on all fronts, chasing success in Serie A and Europe. Manager Jose Mourino worked his magic at the Stadio Olimpico last season, returning the glory days by guiding Roma to a European trophy and place in the history books.

Lifting the UEFA Europa Conference League with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Feyenoord in the final – upsetting the odds created by the best sportsbooks online—fans are dreaming of more big nights. To achieve that, they will require some big-name players, and the transfer columns of major newspapers are already reporting that one of the sport’s biggest attractions could be about to jet into town.

Could Jose be about to turn to an old ally in Cristiano Ronaldo?

CR7 has struggled to settle over the last few seasons as he seeks one final Champions League win. Things didn’t go to plan at Juventus and were even worse last season at Manchester United. With reports that Ronaldo is unsettled in England and already looking for a new challenge, could his countryman throw him a lifeline and welcome Cristiano back to Italian football?

The Special One has proven once again that he is a master tactician, bringing an under-achieving team of players together and giving them the confidence and know-how to win on the big stage. Shunting Roma back into the spotlight was a fantastic achievement for the celebrated Portuguese boss, but it was just the start. The real work begins as Mourinho plots a course to success in Italy.

Mourinho and Ronaldo have worked closely together at many clubs and levels over the years. It’s a duo with exceptionally high standards which have complete confidence in their ability and the skills of the other. It’s a partnership that has yielded success, and both camps have enough drive and ambition to target further glory.

Roma signing Ronaldo works in theory, but do the rumours have any solid foundations?

There are several stumbling blocks and hurdles that must first be navigated before Cristiano is wowing the fans at the Stadio Olimpico, and there is some give and take needed on both sides of the table.

The main issue is the finances. Will Roma break the bank and the trading model to get CR7 through the door? Will the former Real Madrid attacker be willing to ease his demands to give would-be employers something to work with? At present, only the big spenders can afford Ronaldo’s annual fee. There’s no doubt he can demand a huge salary as he’s good enough and remains a major draw, but does Roma have the money?

The club won’t be short of cash following that money-spinning run to the Conference League title, but how they invest the profits is crucial. They could go big on a star like Ronaldo or plunge funds into youth, helping to finance new young players who will add something to the team in the short term while growing in value and making Roma a long-term profit.

The stats show Roma’s win in the Conference League was their first success in Europe since 1961, when they scooped the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Now that monkey is off the club’s back; they turn to end a domestic drought that stretches back to a Coppa Italia in 2008. They haven’t won the Serie A title in over two decades, and traders working at the top online gambling apps don’t expect that wait to end anytime soon, certainly not this season.

The bookies don’t always get it right, and they certainly didn’t call the fall of Juventus, who failed to win the Serie A title in each of the last two years, so the bookies writing Roma off shouldn’t discourage you from backing them if you expect success. But it’s always good to keep tabs on the main teams in the betting at this time of year.

Roma has been chalked up on the betting board as the fifth most likely team to win the title. The favourite is Inter, who sit ahead of Juventus with Milan and then Napoli.