A German businessman has reportedly presented Bayern Munich with an audacious plan to sign Cristiano Ronaldo.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner made headlines worldwide when he left Manchester United in November, following his public criticism of Reds boss Erik ten Hag.
A month later Ronaldo joined Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr, signing a reported £177m a year salary to become the highest-paid player on the planet.
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Ronaldo seems to be enjoying his time in the gulf state, but there is no shortage of clubs that would like to bring him back to Europe.
One of those could be Bayern Munich.
While the German side are a European heavyweight and have won the Bundesliga ten season in a row, they don't possess the financial muscle needed to sign a star like Ronaldo.
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But that's where businessman Marcus Schon comes in.
According to Bavarian newspaper Abendzeitung, Schon made an extraordinary offer to fund a move for the Portuguese superstar.
In an email to Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn, he wrote:
"It's conceivable that we could commit ourselves to the transfer fee or paying the salary excess over a basic amount if our company is clearly identified as the facilitator of the deal."
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Schon allegedly went on to request a percentage of shirt sale revenue should the transfer be a permanent one.
If the offer turned out to be legitimate and Bayern accepted Schon's proposal, then it could be one of the greatest transfer stories of all time.
That said, Ronaldo would have to do his bit to make the move work.
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There's no way that Bayern and Schon would be able to fund Ronaldo's wages. Then there's the question of whether the 38-year-old would actually want to return to Europe just six months after leaving.
Al-Nassr and Ronaldo are currently fighting for the Saudi Pro League title; Ronaldo scored a penalty in his last game as his side cut the gap between themselves and league leaders Al-Ittihad to just three points with three games left to play.
For an athlete with such an insatiable hunger for success, you do wonder whether the Saudi title will satisfy Ronaldo.
Before opting to join Al Nassr, Ronaldo's representatives made it clear that he believed he could still play in Europe. Should Bayern come calling, it could be hard for him to resist.
Topics: Al Nassr, Bayern Munich, Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United, Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours, Football, Bundesliga, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Pro League, Transfers