A Cristiano, Neymar and Mbappé forward line...
I have to say the new Adidas campaign for the launch for the new 2018/19 Real Madrid kits left me bamboozled. A picture of the entire squad with the new shirt apart from one key absentee. Winner of the past three editions of the Ballon d'Or, top scorer in the last six Champions League campaigns who then snubs his image usage as part of the campaign by the German sportswear brand whilst the marketing features the faces of the remaining 22 squad members. This is really quite a remarkable stance by the Portuguese striker.
PSG bound?
We're now being led to believe that PSG are interested in Cristiano's services. Last summer the Parisian outfit brought Neymar to the French capital for a fee of 222 million euro and secured the 'loan' deal of Mbappé from Monaco which will end up in a 180 million purchase deal. UEFA are watching the French club closely as they straddle that Financial Fair Play thin line. If the Cristiano deal was to go ahead then the Ligue 1 champions would surely have to dispense with other key figures with it highly feasible that the likes of Edinson Cavani, Angel Di María and other key PSG players making a Parc des Princes exit.
Paris to Madrid to Paris
Real Madrid are faced with a dilemma. Cristiano is clearly one of the, if not the best players at the club but a player who holds little favour with Florentino Perez. Neymar is apparently frustrated with things in the French capital and Mpabbe is still technically on loan and PSG now need to pay the full fee to close the move. All sorts of moves and swaps could be contemplatd: Cristiano to Paris with Neymar or Mbappé or even both being destined for the Spanish capital. Nothing seems apparently easy to resolve on paper but the absence of the striker from Madeira in the Adidas publicity pictures was a very powerful image.