In light of worries that he won’t be able to compete for the club’s major titles, Cristiano Ronaldo has informed Manchester United that he wants to depart this summer.
The 37-year-old has requested to leave if a reasonable offer is received after being unsatisfied for seven months.
Although the Portuguese is under contract for another year and United has emphasized that he is not for sale, new manager Erik ten Hag doesn’t care if he remains in the hopes that his departure would assist pay for future acquisitions.
After Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was fired in November, Ronaldo was shocked to see that United had quickly hired three new managers. Ronaldo had grown unhappy with the club’s decline and worried about the lack of development following Solskjaer’s departure.
In recent weeks, his agent, Jorge Mendes, has spoken with teams like Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Napoli to see if there is a market for his client. But as of right now, no deal has been reached.
Who could compete with Ronaldo’s ambition and present pay is the challenge.
Bayern has ruled out signing Ronaldo, although Napoli is rumored to be considering a bid.
Since leaving Sporting Lisbon for English football in the summer of 2003, Ronaldo has participated in 19 straight Champions League campaigns.
The striker has 183 total appearances in the league, scoring 140 goals and adding 42 more assists throughout that time.
The Europa League, for which United was eligible after placing sixth in the Premier League, is a competition he has never participated in.
The international player for Portugal thinks he still has “three or four years” remaining at the top of the sport.
According to intimate acquaintances, Ronaldo’s love for United fans is still as great as ever.
The attacker is therefore eager to pursue a transfer for sporting but he is also leaving Manchester for personal ones following a trying time for his young family.
As they enter a new era as Todd Boehly’s team, Chelsea is rumored to be eager to make the star striker their marquee acquisition this summer. Last month, the American met with Gestifute, Ronaldo’s agents, in an effort to broker a deal for the five-time Champions League champion.
The transfer of Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona is claimed to have halted Bayern’s interest in the player, although the two sides are still at odds about the potential transaction.
However, despite the fact that he is aiming to bring in another striker and reduce the squad’s average age down, new United manager Ten Hag has already indicated that he wants to play an offensive style and sees Ronaldo playing a significant part.
It currently appears improbable that the Dutchman will be successful in convincing Ronaldo to stay at Old Trafford for the upcoming campaign.