Manchester United icon Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to have expected much more of a clamour for his signature once his desire to leave Old Trafford became public knowledge.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner held talks with the club hierarchy over the summer and informed them he feels let down by the level of ambition United have shown in the transfer market and, as a result, wants to seek a new challenge elsewhere.
Once that news broke, many were surprised by the relatively muted response from European football's biggest clubs. There were brief murmerings of Chelsea showing signs of interest, but the likes of Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain were quick to distance themselves from reports suggesting either of them were plotting a move for the forward.
Bayern Munich chief executive Oliver Kahn told the media: "As highly as I rate Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the greatest, a transfer wouldn't be a fit with our philosophy. I love Cristiano Ronaldo and everyone knows how fantastic he is. But every club has a certain philosophy and I’m not sure if it would be the right thing for Bayern and the Bundesliga if we signed him now."
In turn, it looks as if Ronaldo may have fallen on his sword and accepted defeat. As first revealed by Mirror Football, the 37-year-old has recently held talks with manager Erik ten Hag and told the Dutchman he is ready to be deployed against Brighton for the opening game of the Premier League season.
Ten Hag did not heed that demand, omitting Ronaldo from the line-up but in truth his attentions are likely to be at least partly with the fact there is a far more in-demand forward currently at the club attracting plenty of offers from elsewhere in teenage sensation Alejandro Garnacho.
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Mirror Football understands the Spanish starlet has his pick of an astonishing twenty teams who are all desperate to offer Garnacho a place to play first-team football this term as United mull over where to send him on loan.
Those sides are spread across the continent, with offers from England, Germany, Spain, Italy and even Scotland all there for the former Atletico Madrid prospect should he want to take any of them up.
Such is Garnacho's talent, there is a strong chance United wish to keep him around the first-team fold for the first half of the campaign before reassessing their options during the January transfer window.
The fact United are in the Europa League this season could provide the promising forward the less intense platform he needs to showcase his skill without the demands of Premier League football just yet.
