Cristiano Ronaldo is travelling to Manchester United for talks with the club over his future. The Portuguese superstar is keen to leave the club for a Champions League side.
The Premier League season is pushing towards commencement, but many things are still unknown. The debates have already started over which team would win the Premier League, yet most sides have not sorted out their squads. Few clubs know what their team will look like when the season starts.
While Manchester City and Liverpool have a clear vision of what they want and how they will play, Chelsea and Manchester United are at odds putting a team together. Both sides have failed in their quest to land all their targets, but they are supposed to be top four challengers.
While Chelsea are losing some of their targets to Barcelona, Manchester United are struggling to convince players to join them. Perhaps the biggest headache United face is the future of Cristiano Ronaldo. The rumours persist over the future of the Portuguese superstar at Old Trafford. Recent reports suggest the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is jetting into Old Trafford to discuss his future.
Ronaldo’s future in limbo
There have been excuses for the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United’s pre-season. The club cites family reasons for his non-appearance, yet it is a public secret that the Portuguese is angling for an exit from the club.
There has always been a debate about whether Cristiano Ronaldo would be open to playing in the Europa League. The Portuguese forward is not keen to play in the less fancied competition and has been marketing his services to Champions League sides. Ronaldo is even willing to take a pay cut to achieve his aim. Meanwhile, Manchester United are keen to keep him at Old Trafford.
Cristiano Ronaldo has not met with Ten Hag since the Dutchman became manager of the club. Reports, however, claim that Ronaldo will hold talks with Ten Hag in the coming days as both parties seek a solution to his future. No one knows if and when Ronaldo will return to training.
Ronaldo may remain at Old Trafford
Finding takers for Cristiano Ronaldo has been a tall task, and his departure from Manchester United is less likely.
According to FootballTransfers, Ronaldo may remain at Old Trafford, with several hurdles to be crossed before any team can sign him. In recent weeks, Atletico Madrid seems a likely destination for the Portuguese.
Any hope of the deal happening has been dealt a massive blow, with Atletico fans protesting against a potential transfer. Besides the fan protest, the financial implication of the deal makes it an arduous task to achieve.
Transfer market expert Ben Jacobs sees things a little differently. According to Jacobs, as unlikely as the deal may look, there remains a slight possibility of the transfer happening.
Another opposition to the Atletico transfer is the links between the Portuguese and Real Madrid, yet the former Los Blancos star is open to joining Los Colchoneros. Jacobs believes the deal could work, but selling the idea to Atletico has been arduous. There is also the little matter of Manchester United’s position.
The Athletic reports that Manchester United is not open to letting the player leave and have him in their plans for the 2022/23 season. The club also sees it as a positive sign that Ronaldo is returning to the club for talks.
