It hasn’t been the ideal start to the summer for Manchester United, and suggestions of Cristiano Ronaldo leaving have only heightened the anxiety around Old Trafford.
All of the talk heading into the summer was about the summer rebuild Erik ten Hag would be undertaking after the disaster that was last season. Thus far, that rebuild has yielded no new signings, with just a couple of days left before the players report back to Carrington for pre-season training.
And now, the possibility of one of the very few bright sparks from last season leaving is starting to become more of a reality. What started out as a fanciful rumour of a move to Germany has now gained significant credibility amid reports Ronaldo’s agent has discussed a potential move to Chelsea.
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It should be said that at this stage at least, Ronaldo is still expected to stay at Old Trafford next season. One thing that is becoming clearer though is that the Portuguese won’t hesitate to move on if United show no signs of progress.
The one factor in all of these recent reports that remains a constant is that the 37-year-old is unhappy with the lack of transfer activity so far. It’s a problem that United have had plenty of time to act on, given they were warned by Gary Neville back in March.
"There's this looming decision at the end of the season which everyone I think knows is coming - is Cristiano Ronaldo going to be at Manchester United next season?” Neville told Sky Sports.
"And people are saying 'will Manchester United keep him?' - it's not their gift. Cristiano Ronaldo will make that decision. He's got another year left on his contract, it's whether he wants to be here. Whether this is the sort of project, that players sometimes like to say, that he believes in and is enjoying it."
Despite the arrival of Ten Hag as manager, and the various exits among staff higher up at the club, so far there haven’t been enough signs to demonstrate to Ronaldo that things are changing. While the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool have strengthened after winning yet more trophies, United have once again been slow to react.
Should the wait for new signings continue into pre-season, Ronaldo may become more inclined to leave the club. United need to act on Neville’s warning, and quickly.
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