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The Los Angeles football franchise, set to come into existence in 2018, already has big ambitions, with reports suggesting the club are keen on making Cristiano Ronaldo their first-ever registered player, and they want to pair him with former Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney.

That’s according to Ed Malyon of the Daily Mirror, who cited a source revealing the grand plans for the California outfit: “There seems to be an obsession in LA with landing Ronaldo. The league will be even stronger by then. He'd be a franchise player for them and truly announce their arrival, and they think they can sell him the 'American Dream’.”

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Malyon also noted that Rooney is another target, and given the England skipper holidays in Los Angeles most years, team officials are hopeful of luring the player to Major League Soccer.

As noted recently by Kartik Krishnaiyer of World Soccer Talk, there’s no denying the United States’ top flight is on the rise:

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The lure of the division has attracted figures such as Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Giovani dos Santos this summer, after all, while Kaka and David Villa are also thriving in their debut campaigns in MLS. But getting someone like Ronaldo would be a hallmark addition of the division.

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The Los Blancos star remains one of the very best players in the world after all, and although he’ll be 33 by the time the summer of 2018 comes around, the shape the Portuguese star keeps himself in means it’s unlikely that his levels of performance will have deteriorated too much by the time LAFC begins its tenure.

Rooney may be a little different as, unlike Ronaldo, the England man seems as though he is a little past his best. There has been some talk about the England skipper maybe dropping into midfield as his legs start to go, but the lifestyle and lucrative benefits of a move to Los Angeles may appeal to the former Everton man.

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As for the two linking up together again? They did so in the past, winning three Premier League titles and one Champions League trophy during their time together at Old Trafford. Even in the twilight of their careers, to see the two rekindle that understanding would be very special indeed.