Football Features

    Where will Sergio Ramos go next? From a UCL project to re-considering Man Utd

    By Muhammad Butt

    Published: 14:39, 18 June 2021

    So it’s official, Sergio Ramos is leaving Real Madrid.

    The centre-back gave a farewell press conference announcing that he will walk away from the club he joined in 2005 in two weeks when his contract expires. It brings an end to a 16-year relationship laden with trophies and individual accolades.

    Ramos joined Madrid as a hyped teenage right-back with oodles of promise and not much else (although he had already played for the Spanish national side). He leaves Los Blancos as a centre-back and captain, with 22 trophies under his belt and as the all-time appearance-maker for Spain, where he has also won two Euros and a World Cup.

    So, now it’s a new adventure for Ramos, but where? We’ve had a look at possible destinations and come up with his dream, realistic and wildcard options.

    Sergio Ramos next club odds with Sky Bet:

    • PSG: 1/1
    • Man City: 3/1
    • Man Utd: 6/1
    • Juventus: 8/1
    • Sevilla: 8/1

    18+ only. GambleAware.org. All odds in this article are correct at the time of writing (14:30, 18/06/21)

    Dream: PSG 

    There can be no better move for Sergio Ramos than PSG, can there? Despite his insistence that he wasn’t motivated by money when he was deciding whether or not to renew with Real Madrid, it’s always better to have more money, which immediately gives PSG an edge.

    What also gives them an edge is that he’s walking into an already monstrous side. PSG are phenomenally stacked with the likes of Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, Marquinhos and Angel Di Maria. And that means he doesn’t have to start every week, but could form a centre-back rotation with Presnel Kimpembe and Marquinhos and rest his ageing limbs. Or the Parisians could switch to a back three. Either way.

    Over half the squad, including the manager, speak Spanish. They are also favourites to win Ligue 1 and Ramos could use more league titles (he has just five from his 16 years at Madrid) to add to his colossal haul of European Cups.

    Speaking of European Cups, PSG’s greatest desire is to win the Champions League and given he was one of the most important figures in Real Madrid winning it in 2014 and 2016, as well as playing a major role in 2017 and 2018 too, could there be a better player to help the Parisians get over that hump? Ramos is a master in big games, especially big European games, and would be the perfect leader to give PSG the mental strength to win big on nights just like that.

    Realistic: Juventus

    If there are two things Juventus love; it’s veteran defenders and free transfers. The Old Lady is a sucker for a “bargain” and is always looking to nab players on frees, even if they don’t need or have a place for them (e.g. Aaron Ramsey), so of course, this is a realistic destination for Ramos.

    Juventus also have a great appreciation for bold characters, “born winners” and such. Ramos fits the macho profile perfectly and would form one of the grizzliest and manliest defences ever along with Giorgio Chiellini. Moreover, Juventus play a back three (for now anyway) which means more positions for Ramos to fit into and, in Matthijs de Ligt, a young Padawan he can train in the dark arts.

    Moreover, it would lead to a reunion with Cristiano Ronaldo, the man who Ramos won all four of his Champions Leagues alongside. Like PSG, Juventus are desperate to win the European Cup and the last time Ramos and Ronaldo were teammates, they won three Champions Leagues in a row. Also: if your medium-term plan is to recruit Zinedine Zidane to be your coach, having two players he knows, loves and respects already at the club is probably a good idea.

    Get 100/1 on each team to have 1+ shot on target, 2+ corners and John McGinn to be carded in England vs Scotland

    CLAIM HERE. 18+ only. New customers only. Place a max £1 bet on both England and Scotland to have one or more shots on target, two or more corners and John McGinn to be carded at the normal odds. Click ‘Bet now’ to add the selection to your betslip. You’ll be paid in cash at the normal odds and topped up to the enhanced price in free bets. T&Cs apply. Paddy’s Rewards Club: Get a £10 free bet when you place 5x bets of £10+. T&Cs apply.

    Wildcard: Man Utd, Man City or Chelsea

    The Premier League, with all its financial largesse, is obviously a possible destination for Ramos, and two clubs stand out the most: Manchester United and Chelsea. For the Red Devils, it’s simple: they’ve tried multiple times to sign Ramos from Madrid, only for the Spaniard to reject them every time. Now they can finally get their man. Meanwhile, Chelsea are European champions and will want to add to their squad to prevent stagnation. There’s also Manchester City and their own pursuit of the Champions League.

    Squawka Suggests: Chelsea

    Both Manchester clubs would be fine for Ramos to join. In City’s case, he’d have to embed himself into Pep Guardiola’s system (for which his time with Spain will be nice preparations) but while there he could provide them with leadership ability.

    Then United, where he walks into that side and plays every single week next to Harry Maguire. Helping them reach the next level. Both transfers sound good on paper but the truth is City have two centre-backs better than him. Manchester United are probably still smarting from last time when Ramos used them to get a new deal at Madrid.

    “There was an offer from United,” Ramos told COPE in 2016. “I considered changing for a while but Real Madrid was always my priority and there were no economic reasons.”

    Chelsea, meanwhile, are similar to PSG in that they have a stacked squad and are just in need of that final push to get over the line. Only for the Blues, the “line” is winning the Premier League for the first time since 2017. Ramos could help with that, and given the Blues play three at the back it would also be easier to accommodate him and his declining physical skill-set with two partners and N’Golo Kanté patrolling the space ahead of him.

    Of course, this move is a wildcard because Chelsea already have their veteran centre-back in Thiago Silva, and if they brought a defender in would probably look to someone younger with more athletic prowess.

    Get 40/1 on Harry Kane to have a shot on target in England vs Scotland

    CLAIM HERE. 18+ only. New customers only. Place a max £1 bet on Harry Kane to have a shot on target vs Scotland at the normal odds. Click ‘Bet now’ to add the selection to your betslip. You’ll be paid in cash at the normal odds and topped up to the enhanced price in free bets. T&Cs apply. Paddy’s Rewards Club: Get a £10 free bet when you place 5x bets of £10+. T&Cs apply.

    Previous Article
    Croatia vs Czech Republic live stream, predictions & team news | Euro 2020

    Croatia vs Czech Republic live stream: Watch Euro 2020 online

    Next Article

    William Hill Euro 2020 offer: Get 30/1 on Ronaldo to...

    Related Articles

    Show More