Ryan Reynolds tipped to bring Cristiano Ronaldo to Wrexham in sensational transfer move

Former Premier League star William Gallas has not dismissed the idea of Cristiano Ronaldo making a sensational switch to Wrexham. The League One side have gained plenty of glamour since acting stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney became co-owners – but nothing on the scale of signing Ronaldo.

Despite being 39 and in the twilight of his illustrious career, Ronaldo continues to dazzle on the pitch, having recently bagged his 133rd goal for Portugal in their 3-1 victory against Poland on Saturday. The legendary striker has scored more than 900 career goals, including 72 in 79 appearances for Al-Nassr since his high-profile move to the Saudi Pro League in December 2022.

With a reported annual salary of £175million, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner has hinted at staying with the club for the remainder of his playing days. Yet, with Ronaldo’s contract set to expire next summer, that could change. While it would be one of the most remarkable transfers in football history, ex-Arsenal and Chelsea defender Gallas has suggested that a move to Wrexham could be on the cards for Ronaldo.

“Cristiano Ronaldo to Wrexham? Anything is possible in football in the modern game,” two-time Premier League winner Gallas told Prime Casino. “It wouldn’t surprise me because money talks and we’ve seen that nothing is impossible these days.

“You see young players going to Saudi Arabia when they would have never left Europe in the past. Footballers and football clubs are now obsessed with their brands too and their sponsors… you can make a lot of money and not just from your wages at your club.”

On the changing landscape within football, Gallas added: “Now everything is about social media and having millions of followers, and both Wrexham and Ronaldo have huge profiles so why not. I have spoken to my former team-mates about social media and everything that goes on now and it feels like a different world. So many things are now possible.

“Ronaldo is more than just a footballer, he’s a product and he’s also still scoring so many goals on the pitch. There will be so many clubs still happy to have him.”

Wrexham have embarked on a magical journey since Hollywood stars Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds took over the club in 2021, amassing a global fanbase through the Welcome to Wrexham docuseries. The Welsh club ended their 15-year tenure in the National League last year, securing consecutive promotions to League One, and could return to the second tier for the first time since 1982.

Despite Wrexham’s celebrity owners signing several ex-Premier League stars during their reign, Ronaldo would shatter their current wage structure. Wrexham’s top earner, George Evans, reportedly takes home around £7,000 per week, a mere fraction of Ronaldo’s £3.4million weekly wage at Al-Nassr.

However, Ronaldo wouldn’t be the first ex-Real Madrid superstar that the club have tried to lure to the Racecourse Ground. Following their promotion to the EFL, Reynolds and McElhenney were open about wanting to bring Gareth Bale out of retirement and have insisted that he is still welcome to sign for the club this season, even if the 35-year-old wants to spend his time on the golf course.

“Gareth Bale is still technically available. I don’t know, I made the plea last year and I’m just going to tell Gareth that the offer’s still on the table,” McElhenney said in June. “We’ll let you off for golf whenever you need to get off. As long as you come to training once or twice a week we can figure out how to get you 10 minutes on the pitch. And the golf courses – Wales is amongst the most beautiful countries in the world.”