The club are reportedly willing to let the Portuguese striker leave without collecting a transfer fee
Manchester United have not received credible interest for Cristiano Ronaldo even though they have been willing to allow him to leave on a free transfer since the summer, ESPN has claimed.
Ronaldo’s future at Old Trafford is in the headlines again after he refused to come on as a substitute during the Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.
The 37-year-old was seen leaving the touchline before the final whistle and reportedly left the locker room before his teammates returned to celebrate their 2-0 win.
United manager Erik ten Hag has punished Ronaldo’s latest act of dissent from by banishing him from the squad for Saturday’s game at Chelsea.
The incident has fueled speculation that Ronaldo is destined to leave Old Trafford once the transfer window reopens in January – a scenario that the forward had attempted to force through prior to the season.
But according to ESPN, citing sources, Ronaldo could have the same difficulty in finding willing suitors for his services as he encountered in the summer.
Reporter Mark Ogden says that the United hierarchy – including US owners the Glazer family – have been willing to let Ronaldo go without seeking a transfer fee since he stated his desire to leave back in July.
Except for speculative interest from Saudi Arabia, no serious parties are said to have emerged as potential buyers.
During the summer, Ronaldo endured snubs from the likes of Chelsea and Bayern Munich as his agent, Jorge Mendes, scrambled to find a landing spot for the star.
For his part, Ronaldo has been desperate to play Champions League football, with United consigned to the second-tier UEFA Europa League this season.
A likely issue in finding a suitable new club would be the weekly wage of £500,000 ($560,000) which the Portuguese forward reportedly pockets at United.
ESPN noted that a January loan move may be possible, should a club agree to pay a proportion of those wages. A strong World Cup with Portugal in November and December could also enhance Ronaldo’s chances of attracting a suitor.
Ronaldo is in the final year of the two-year deal he signed with the Old Trafford club after returning from Juventus in the summer of 2021 for an initial €15 million ($14.8 million) fee. There is the option of a one-year extension, which seems highly unlikely to be activated.
Dutch manager Ten Hag has used Ronaldo sparingly since he took over in the United dugout before the new season.
Questions have been asked about how the forward can fit into the high-intensity, pressing style of football which the former Ajax coach is attempting to implement.
Ronaldo finished top scorer for United last season with 24 goals in all competitions, but has just two strikes to his name in 12 appearances thus far this campaign.
Watching on from his first-team exile, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner did at least post a good-luck message to his United teammates ahead of their Premier League meeting with Chelsea on Saturday.
Ronaldo explained his act of touchline insubordination in a message to fans on Thursday, in which he said he had acted in the “heat of the moment.”
Ten Hag said the former Real Madrid star needs “time for reflection” after the incident was the second of its kind in recent months, following similar scenes during a pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano.
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