Napoli chief explains why Italian club were never serious about signing Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo was never a serious transfer target for Napoli in the summer transfer window, according to the Italian club’s sporting director.

Ronaldo, who expressed his desire to leave Old Trafford in search of Champions League football, failed to secure a move away from United, despite reported interest from a number of clubs around the globe. It is thought that Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and Napoli were all linked with a move for the Portuguese star.

According to reports, Napoli chiefs contacted Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, to discuss a possible transfer. However, the club's sporting director, Cristiano Giuntoli, has since confirmed that a move for the 37-year-old was never on the cards.

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"During the transfer market we pretend to chat with everyone, and sometimes we do it for real. But we wanted to invest in a young team," he told Corriere dello Sport.

It comes after Giuntoli told Sky Sport Italia that Napoli would never have entertained a deal for Ronaldo. He said: "We never really talked about Ronaldo. In football you get nowhere with ifs and buts. We are happy with the squad we have, we are confident this is a competitive team."

After failing to secure a move away from United, Ronaldo stayed put at Old Trafford and will be part of Erik ten Hag's side until at least January. The former Real Madrid man has made seven appearances for the Reds so far this season, but has failed to find the back of the net.

He has completed 90 minutes just twice so far this term, with the Reds boss preferring Marcus Rashford as United's central striker. The England international has grabbed three