Cristiano Ronaldo is said to be desperate to get his future sorted before Manchester United’s first Premier League game this weekend.
Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave the club this summer to pursue Champions League football, with the former Real Madrid player still hoping to win his sixth European Cup.
According to reports, the Portuguese great is determined to find a new club before United’s season opening against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
However, time is running out for the forward, and he may find himself starting the next season at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo made his Manchester United debut over the weekend against Rayo Vallecano, playing 45 minutes before leaving the field before the finish of the 90-minute game. This is after not embarking on the club’s pre-season tour, which included stops in Asia, Australia, and Norway.
Regardless, Ronaldo’s appearance in the pre-season friendly increases the likelihood of him starting against Brighton on Sunday. And, suggestively, he might play a key role from the start of the season.
The circus around Ronaldo’s future has overshadowed what was supposed to be an essential summer of rebuilding under Erik ten Hag.
Various clubs have been reported to be seeking his signature since it was initially revealed that he wished to leave all the way back at the start of the window, before appearing to distance themselves.
Atletico Madrid was the most recent club to be connected, but those rumors were quickly debunked.
United first refused to comment on the controversy, but have subsequently emphasized that they have no beef with the Portuguese. They would like that the forward stay with the club this season.
Ronaldo, who returned to the club last summer after leaving for Real Madrid in 2009, wants to stay at the top of the game, and hefty offers from the Middle East or the United States do not appear to have aroused his attention just yet.
Despite United’s refusal to allow Ronaldo to leave, Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, is still actively seeking a new club for his client before the end of the transfer window and will do “everything he can” to make a trade happen.