Man United insists Cristiano Ronaldo is not yet on sale, although he is missing a fourth day of training – and it looks likely he will miss tomorrow’s flight to Thailand – with Chelsea and Napoli increasing interest in a £ 13 million deal.
- Cristiano Ronaldo has not yet returned to pre-season training at Man United
- The 37-year-old told the club he wants to leave if they receive a suitable offer
- United will fly on Friday for their pre-season tour and Ronaldo is unlikely to travel
- The club maintains that it is not for sale in the interest of Chelsea and Napoli
By Chris Wheeler for MailOnline
Posted: 11:04, 7 July 2022 | Updated: 11:37, July 7, 2022
Manchester United maintain that Cristiano Ronaldo is not for sale amid growing uncertainty about his future at Old Trafford.
It was speculated on Thursday that United will hear offers close to the £ 13 million they paid to re-sign Ronaldo from Juventus last summer.
Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is believed to be considering an offer after talks with players’ agent Jorge Mendes, and there is also interest from Napoli.
Cristiano Ronaldo has missed training for the fourth day and may not be flying on the preseason tour
Still, United adhere to the club’s official line that the 37-year-old is not for sale and remains under contract at Old Trafford for another year.
Speculations about Ronaldo’s future have been fueled by his absence from pre-season training after informing the club he wants to leave. The five-time Golden Ball winner went missing this Thursday for the fourth day after receiving a break for “family reasons.”
United still don’t know if Ronaldo will fly with the rest of the squad on Friday for a tour of Thailand and Australia, although it seems increasingly unlikely. The trip starts with a friendly against Liverpool at Bangkok’s Rajamangala National Stadium on Tuesday and also includes matches against Melbourne, Crystal Palace and Aston Villa in Australia.
Ronaldo’s future has posed an immediate early problem for new boss Erik ten Hag
Sources say Ronaldo will appear at the team’s launch on Friday, with images of the Portuguese superstar being used even though he wants to leave.
However, the saga is in danger of overshadowing the start of Erik ten Hag as coach of United, as the Dutchman is preparing to face questions about Ronaldo’s situation if it is not resolved.
When United last toured three years ago, also in Australia, coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was chased over by questions about haunting striker Romelu Lukaku. The Belgian did not play a single game and left for Inter Milan shortly afterwards.
It remains to be seen whether the problem surrounding Ronaldo, who has a considerably higher profile than Lukaku and has been used as a poster designer for this tour, develops in the same way.
Sir Alex Ferguson kept Ronaldo one more season before selling the player to Real Madrid in 2009, and United seem equally determined to stay on their ground now. However, it would be a surprise if its resolution is not tested.
Ronaldo has told United he wants to leave if they receive a suitable offer for him this summer