Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag has “accepted” that Cristiano Ronaldo should be sold this summer. The Portuguese international wants to leave Old Trafford behind, just a year after his great return from Juventus. And it looks like he’ll get his wish, even though the red devils publicly insist it’s not for sale.
Manchester United saw Ronaldo impress last season, with the Portuguese international scoring 24 goals in all competitions, more than any other player in the squad.
But his return to Old Trafford also coincided with the club’s worst Premier League season, where the club finished sixth in the table with just 16 wins and 58 points.
Ten Hag said in May that he wanted to keep Ronaldo during his reign, insisting the 37-year-old would bring guaranteed goals to his team.
However, now The Sun claims the 52-year-old has “accepted” that he would be better off without the former Real Madrid and Juventus star after the board held talks on the matter.
Ronaldo wants to leave United for a team that plays in the Champions League, without ever having been in the Europa League throughout his brilliant career.
He has won five European top club competitions five times, scoring 140 goals in the process.
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Chelsea are an interested team, especially after superagent Jorge Mendes has recently held talks with Blues owner Todd Boehly.
The West London giants are facing a battle to sign Ronaldo, however, with United bosses reluctant to sell to a Premier League rival.
Bayern Munich have also come forward as possible contenders, and Bundesliga giants are expected to lose Robert Lewandowski amid Barcelona’s interest.
Barcelona itself has spoken of the signing of Ronaldo, although it is not clear whether their current financial situation would count against them and hinder their chances of negotiating a deal.
As for the player himself, he believes he is still able to earn honors at the highest level.
But he does not believe this is possible at United, who have now spent five years without claiming any money, which dates back to when Jose Mourinho ruled the post.
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Ronaldo signed a two-year contract with United on his return from Juventus in August, as he previously seemed likely to end up at Manchester City.
However, with Ten Hag now accepting that the 37-year-old must go, it will be fascinating to see where he ends up.
United are interested in Antony at a time when Ronaldo could leave, with Ten Hag previously leading the Brazilian international at Ajax.
Still, any deal won’t be cheap, as the Eredivisie giants make it clear they want £ 70 million even to consider letting the end make the move.
If United decide to pay, Antony would become his fifth most expensive signing in history.
He would get the £ 59 million they paid for Angel Di Maria when the Argentine international moved from Real Madrid to the 2014 summer transfer window.
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However, it would still be a cheaper deal than the ones they have reached for Paul Pogba, Harry Maguire, Romelu Lukaku and Jadon Sancho in recent years.
Ronaldo has now missed United’s training session for the third day in a row.
And there is a real feeling that the red devils, and their number 7, will benefit from a separation of paths.
Former Liverpool and Real Madrid star Steve McManaman, meanwhile, has expressed his opinion that Ronaldo could leave United behind.
Speaking to Horseracing.net, he said: “It’s very strange. It’s only been a year since he joined, and that’s crazy in itself. And he really shouldn’t want to leave Manchester United just because they had a poor year. .
“You should want to stay and fight your cause. But I could understand that it could be beneficial for both parties.
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“Erik ten Hag has come in and all they have asked him is Ronaldo. Maybe it would be better for Ten Hag to start clean without him, because he guarantees a lot of press, questions and discussion points throughout the season.
“If Ten Hag wants to get rid of it and thinks it’s fantastic and all the numbers add up, then there’s no problem.
“Ronny is 37 years old. I understand perfectly well that he wants to keep playing in the Champions League, but first I wouldn’t know who would take him.
“The deal would be big. Manchester United have given him a lot of money in salaries. I have no idea who would pay half a million a week, one more year.
“She’s a superstar, but if Manchester United could get their money back, it might be better for a new coach to come in and say, ‘Okay, a new beginning.’ Get rid of everyone who doesn’t want to be here. again’.
“That’s great and it could be beneficial for Ten Hag. I might be secretly thinking, ‘This is amazing.’ But how this deal will materialize when you look at the big picture, I don’t see how it will turn out.”