Manchester United were willing to let Cristiano Ronaldo leave for free, according to sources.
ESPN sources say that Manchester United have let Cristiano Ronaldo go for free since the summer, but no one has come forward to take him.
Ronaldo refused to play as a substitute when Manchester United beat Tottenham 2-0 at Old Trafford on Wednesday. As a result, manager Erik ten Hag put him on the bench for Saturday’s Premier League game at Stamford Bridge.
When the forward left the bench early to depart the stadium after playing for Real Madrid and Juventus, it just added to Ten Hag’s irritation.
Ronaldo’s latest act of bad behavior has made it more likely that the Portugal international will leave United in January. This is because Ten Hag criticized him for staying at home when United played Rayo Vallecano in a preseason game at Old Trafford in July.
Since Ronaldo made it clear in the summer that he wanted to leave the club,
Since Ronaldo made it clear in the summer that he wanted to leave the club, ESPN has heard from sources that the United hierarchy, led by American owners the Glazer family, is willing to offload Ronaldo.
Manchester United bought Ronaldo from Juventus for €15 million in August 2021. According to reports, United haven’t asked for a fee for the player because they hope another club will take over his £500,000-per-week contract.
Even ambitious and well-funded teams in Turkey have shown themselves to be unmoved by the prospect of signing Ronaldo, who brought his club goal tally to 700 with his strike against Everton earlier this month. Aside from Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia, no one else has asked the United States about Ronaldo.
Reports from Old Trafford say that if Ronaldo does well with Portugal at the World Cup in Qatar next month, he may be able to leave Manchester United for another team.
Ronaldo’s contract with United has six months left. So, if other clubs are willing to pay part of his wages, he could be out on loan in January.
Unfortunately for Ronaldo, he has scored just two goals in all competitions for United this season, and his 38th birthday isn’t until February, so no clubs are showing much interest in giving him a way out of Old Trafford in January.
