Cristiano Ronaldo remains intent on leaving Manchester United before the transfer window closes, sparked by his furious reaction to a clause in his contract.
Atletico Madrid are among the clubs who offer a potential escape route for the Portuguese star, who remains determined to depart the Red Devils this summer after just one season back at Old Trafford following his high-profile return from Juventus last year after 12 years away.
He has been attempting to force through an exit for two months but no move has yet been concluded with less than a week remaining in the transfer window. Ronaldo has lost his starting spot in United’s team and the club are open to allowing him to leave, but the player’s wage demands makes any potential exit prohibitive.
The 37-year-old was dropped to the bench for United’s spirited defeat of Liverpool on Monday and remained out of the line-up for Saturday’s victory at Southampton. Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Anthony Elanga and Anthony Martial are among those who appear to be more favoured by boss Erik ten Hag in attack.
A report in The Times outlines Ronaldo’s mass discontent since returning to the club last summer, believing that he was sold a project and the opportunity for winning major honours which did not represent reality. This summer, a clause in his contract infuriated him further.
Every player in United’s first-team squad had to accept a 25 percent reduction in their wages due to a clause that existed in their deals of the implications of missing out on Champions League football. Ironically, not competing in that competition is considered the primary motivation behind the star’s decision to leave.
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Ronaldo is reported to have opposed the clause, claiming that he was not responsible for the club missing out on a top four finish – having netted 18 Premier League goals last season. As United’s highest earner, the drop in income would notable make a greater impact on his salary than anyone else.
The list of possible destinations for Ronaldo is limited with Atletico Madrid a strong candidate to secure his signature. Despite the Portuguese superstar's links with Real Madrid – where he is the all-time record club goal scorer with a scarcely believable 450 goals in 438 appearances – he is open to joining their city rivals.
Atleti fans have protested against the possible signing but that is not detracting boss Diego Simeone, who would love for the club to land a player he has always greatly admired. Simeone believes that Ronaldo could have a similar impact to Luis Suarez – the Uruguayan joined from Barcelona in 2020 and subsequently fired them to the league title in his debut season.
