Joan Laporta met with Jorge Mendes, sparking rumors of a possible move for the former Real Madrid superstar.

Given the whole Cristiano Ronaldo fiasco currently taking place at Manchester United, an interesting and eye-catching report emerged linking the Real Madrid legend with a move to Los Blancos' bitter rivals, Barcelona.

Spanish publication AS made this claim, stating that Blaugrana president Joan Laporta met with Cristiano's agent Jorge Mendes for dinner to discuss the possibility of bringing the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to the iconic Camp Nou, once the home ground of his arch-nemesis Lionel Messi.

Ronaldo's reason for wanting to leave Old Trafford is simple: the Red Devils don't have UEFA Champions League football next season and are unlikely to challenge for any major silverware in 2022/23. The Catalan giants have qualified for Europe's premier club competition and while Xavi's side finished 13 points behind La Liga champions Real Madrid last season, there is a consensus that Barcelona will compete for the Spanish Primera Division next term.

But is there any truth to these claims? The Portuguese legend might be seeking a Theatre of Dreams escape, but are Barcelona pursuing a move for the player who once went to war with the likes of Puyol, Pique, and Mascherano?

Joan Laporta somewhat touched upon this topic during the recent presentation of Franck Kessie, the Ivorian midfielder who joined the Spanish giants from AC Milan for free. The Barcelona president openly admitted to having a meeting with Jorge Mendes, revealing that they had a conversation regarding the "market in general". However, on the topic of Cristiano, the Camp Nou official refused to offer any insight and instead gave a coy statement.

"I had dinner with Jorge Mendes on Monday and we talked about the market in general," Laporta said, as per the Sun.

"Cristiano? I'm not going to talk about players we discussed at the meeting, but it's always good to know how some names are on the market."

It should be noted that a meeting with Mendes isn't a smoking gun as the Portuguese agent represents a host of talented players, including Manchester City's Bernardo Silva, who Barcelona are targeting. Additionally, Xavi's side are keen on a move for Robert Lewandowski and despite Bayern Munich's reluctance to sell their Polish superstar, the Blaugrana aren't expected to give up soon.

Nonetheless, Cristiano is yet to report for duty at Manchester United, with recent reports claiming that the Premier League giants are unaware whether the attacker will return in time for the pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia, which kicks off this Friday.

Chelsea have also been linked with a move for the goalscoring machine, with the Blues being in dire need of a clinical forward. However, while Todd Boehly is an admirer of Ronaldo, it remains unclear whether Thomas Tuchel will sanction a move for the 37-year-old.