Cristiano Ronaldo Set To Leave Manchester United Because Erik Ten Hag Has No Plans For Him; Roma Awaits.
Cristiano Ronaldo, according to reports, “wants to leave Manchester United this summer” because he does not believe he is a part of Erik ten Hag’s Old Trafford ambition.
The 37-year-old Portuguese striker scored 24 goals during his second stint at United, but with the appointment of the Dutch coach this summer, everything is about to change.
According to the bold claim made by the Italian publication La Repubblica, Ronaldo is now looking for a way out of United ahead of next season.
They claim the forward does not believe he is a part of Ten Hag’s efforts to revitalize a team that has been in decline for several seasons.
Both Roma and Sporting Lisbon have been mentioned as potential destinations, but it’s unclear how either club could afford Ronaldo’s massive £480,000-per-week salary, even if he agreed to terms.
Mendes has a good working relationship with Roma, having brought in not only Mourinho but also goalkeeper Rui Patricio and center midfielder Sergio Oliveira.
The fact that Roma, like Manchester United, will not compete in the Champions League next season may deter Ronaldo from making the switch.
Sporting Lisbon, his first club, is also being considered for a romantic reunion. They qualified for the Champions League the following season after finishing second to Porto in the Primeira Liga.
There was a lot of excitement when United signed Ronaldo from Juventus for an initial fee of £12.85 million at the start of the season. However, his triumphant return was marred by a string of misfortunes, and United never looked like contending for a trophy, making it five years without a trophy.
Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, is looking for a new club for his client, and Jose Mourinho’s Roma has emerged as a possible destination, according to La Repubblica.
Mourinho and Cristiano Ronaldo parted ways amicably after three years of collaboration at Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013.
While Ronaldo’s goals earned him a place in the Premier League Team of the Year, United finished sixth and were knocked out of the Champions League in the last-16 stage by Atletico Madrid.
United hired Ralf Rangnick as an interim coach until the end of the season as a result of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s poor performance in November.
However, there was little progress under the German coach.
Former Ajax manager Ten Hag has been named as their new permanent manager, and the Dutchman will begin a major team revamp this summer.
Despite the fact that Ronaldo’s contract has one year remaining with the option for a second, he may leave Old Trafford sooner than expected.
