As a result of Cristiano Ronaldo’s expressed desire to leave, Manchester United is prepared to lose their star player in the upcoming summer transfer window.Surprisingly, the 37-year-old revealed to the team last Weekend that he sees his career outside of United.
The club has said that its man is not for sale, but club management are now concerned that they won’t be able to keep him against his will and are trying to avoid a drawn-out transfer drama by acknowledging that they wouldn’t be able to.
Ronaldo’s representatives allegedly told the new club’s CEO Richard Arnold that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner would quit if they didn’t advance to the Champions League.
Erik ten Hag, the squad’s new manager, described Ronaldo as a “giant” and said he wanted to keep him on the team. The Dutchman has accepted that Ronaldo won’t be playing for his squad this upcoming season, though, after talking with the board.
Ronaldo visited Old Trafford last summer after 12 years away with Juventus and Real Madrid. His homecoming, though, hasn’t gone well. A United team lacking in talent and self-assurance was not motivated by Ronaldo’s comeback.
They have been unable to bring any hardware home because of early exits from the Champs League and domestic cups. As they dropped to a sixth-place finish, they still managed the club’s smallest Premier League point total. United was unable to join the Champions League as a result.
Ronaldo’s transfer request is a result of their failure to qualify for Europe’s top tournament. The 37-year-old Portugal international still believes he can compete for the highest salaries, but he has accepted that he will be unable to do so with the current United team.
Numerous teams from around the continent will be vying for Ronaldo’s signing, but only a select few will be able to match his extraordinarily high pay and ambition.
He is reportedly wanted by United’s Premier League rivals Chelsea, and there have been rumours that Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has spoken with Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly about a possible trade.
Away from Ronaldo, the team has resumed training ahead of their Friday departure for their preseason tour of Australia and Thailand.
In order to bolster their roster, United is also working quietly; earlier this week, defender Tyrell Malacia was hired. Christian Eriksen, a free agent, is almost ready to join, and a deal to sign Frenkie de Jong, a midfielder for Barcelona, is becoming closer all the time.