By Tim Stannard

The Ronnie rumor mill cranks into gear  

 
Sports Burst made a meaningful promise to itself that it wasn’t going to go down the Cristiano Ronaldo-leaving-Real Madrid rabbit hole this summer, after it had been left feeling hurt, used and burned last year. And the year before that. And the year before that. And the year before that. And the year before that.

But Wednesday sees it in full admiration for Spanish sports daily, AS, that has pulled an Infinity War style swoop by merging a bunch of football superstars together into one big story. And that story is that Cristiano Ronaldo could be moving to PSG this summer with the French club willing to pay the footballer’s salary demands and also offer up the correct amount of adoration.
 
If PSG was able to align a huge number of stars to make that move happen…and that’s an ‘if’ the size of the Eiffel Tower, that would see the Ligue Un champions with Ronaldo, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe up front next season with Angel di Maria and Edinson Cavani discarded.
 
Tune into the XTRA at 7PM ET / 4PM PT where our Phil Schoen will predict where the big beasts of the football world will be playing next season.
 
 

Japan downed by Ghana as Russia faces mountain in Austria
 
Mere hours after Tuesday’s international friendly between Argentina and Haiti had wrapped up with a 4-0 win for the Albiceleste and a hat-trick from Lionel Messi, another encounter began in the late / early hours of the day in Japan with the World Cup-bound Asian outfit taking on Ghana in Yokahama.
 
The eventual 2-0 home defeat was not an ideal result for boss, Akira Nishino, who has only recently taken over the team. The opener in the victory for Ghana was scored by Atletico Madrid’s Thomas Partey.
 

 
Another World Cup team is in action on Wednesday and really needs to get a result on Wednesday in a friendly against Austria. Really, really, really. That team is Russia. But the Sbornaya has not shown any signs of late of being any good at football and Russia are hosting the World Cup. With Vladimir Putin watching on. Good luck with that!
 
 

Lewandowski seeks move from Bayern Munich
 
Robert Lewandowski is officially on the transfer market!
 
Now that would have been exciting news a year or two ago – even a month – but a no-show in both Champions League semi-finals against Real Madrid has cooled everyone’s excitement levels a little.
 
The Polish striker’s agent, Pini Zahavi, has said that his 29-year-old client “feels that he needs a change and a new challenge in his career.” There are rumors that Dynamo Kiev is in for the player using a former legend and current Ukraine coach to seal the deal. “I drove my Shevy to the Lewy, as the Lewy said ‘bye’” – confirmed the club president to Sports Burst.

Wednesday’s Corriere dello Sport has Mauro Icardi sporting a bowler hat on the front cover in a story that Chelsea will pay Inter’s release clause to sign the services of the forward who scored 29 Serie A goals last season. For the record, very few people wear bowler hats in England aside from Hugh Grant and the Foreign Secretary.

 
 
Napoli midfielder, Jorginho, continues to be linked with Manchester City while Manchester United is on the brink of the club’s first summer signing with the purchase of Porto’s teenage right-back, Diogo Dalot.
 
The XTRA is your one-stop shop for all transfer news and nonsense at 7PM ET / 4PM PT.
 

Halep marches on as Golden Knights live the dream
 
The dream made of beautiful ice continues for the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday in the second of the team’s Stanley Cup finals clash against the Washington Capitals.

Elsewhere in the wide world of sports the action is underway at Roland Garros for the French Open. In the women’s bracket, Simona Halep was an early winner in a two-sets to one win over US player, Alison Riske. Caroline Wozniacki is up later today in the number two seed’s second round clash.

 
WHAT IS SPORTS BURST?
The life philosophy of Sports Burst is that if you are not upsetting someone, then you are not trying hard enough. Sports Burst is a daily trawl and troll through the morning's sports news to bring you fact-nuggets to make you both smile and swear. Hopefully at the same time.