Cristiano Ronaldo has got what he wanted as his second spell at Manchester United comes to a bitter and unceremonious end.
But after the 37-year-old's contract was mutually terminated by his furious employers, the question turns to where Ronaldo will end up next. United made their decision off the back of Ronaldo's explosive interview with Piers Morgan, where along with criticising the club, he also outlined his plans to continue playing until he was 40.
Yet despite Ronaldo being available as a free agent, few clubs would be able to afford the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, whose £500,000-per-week wage made him United's top earner prior to his exit. According to Marca, Ronaldo has been 'torn' between the idea of a lucrative move to the Middle East or staying put in the Premier League and has made admiring glances at Newcastle United's riches.
However, The Telegraph report Newcastle have 'zero interest' in financing a move for Ronaldo as his ego could disrupt the harmonious progress Eddie Howe is making on Tyneside. Howe has got Newcastle firing this season as they sit fourth in the table after avoiding relegation last term.
While Newcastle are being bankrolled with untold fortunes from their Saudi owners, spending has been kept fairly modest during Howe's reign thus far, and it appears unlikely they would want to break their budget by bringing Ronaldo onto their books - at St. James' Park at least.
For Marca also state in their report that a move to Saudi side Al-Nassr - who have the same owners as Newcastle - could be on the cards. Ronaldo turned down a mega-money offer from a Saudi-based club (believed to be Al-Hilal) in the summer as he was "happy" at United and wanted to continue playing at Old Trafford.
Where should Ronaldo go next? Have your say in the comments below.
Ronaldo confirmed in his recent bombshell interview with Morgan that the offer was worth €350million for two seasons. “It’s true, yes it’s true…," he said, before adding that rumours nobody wanted to sign him were "garbage" and "completely wrong".
“And I was happy here [at United] to be honest, I was motivated to do a great season here. But they [the media] continue to repeat that nobody wants Cristiano. How do they not want a player who scored 32 goals last year, with a national team?”
One thing that could stand in the way of Saudi clubs tempting Ronaldo to the Middle East is his belief that he can still play at the highest level. “It’s hard, it’s hard. But in the same way, I thought that I was very happy here; that I’m still capable of scoring goals…," he continued.
“I still believe that I can score many, many goals and help the team because I still believe that I’m still good and capable to help national team – even Manchester United.
“But if you don’t feel around you that the energy’s on your side, it’s difficult. Of course, the criticism is going to exist all the time, ‘Ah he’s 37, he’s not the same’. But I want to see if some guy of my age can maintain the level that I have shown…"
Napoli and Sporting Lisbon are among the other clubs to have reportedly shown an interest, while Chelsea and Bayern Munich continue to be linked with the superstar, though whether their interest is made into a tangible offer remains to be seen.
Ronaldo is currently out in Qatar with the Portugal national team and a good tournament could bring more potential suitors to the table, providing he is willing to drop his wage demands. That said, Ronaldo may have changed his mind on finishing his career at the elite level, with this set to be his final World Cup, and his admission that he now sees football differently.
"I see football now as a business to be honest,” Ronaldo added in his interview. “The passion for the game is still intact. But in the same way, I saw other things as well. Which surprised me but in the same way. It’s part of the business because if you see the world, how it is at the moment, it’s all business…”
Reacting to the news of United terminating his contract, Ronaldo's former team-mate Rio Ferdinand believes the striker will take into account three main factors before making his decision.
Asked on BBC Sport where Ronaldo could go next, Ferdinand replied: "We were talking about it here, I think it depends what the motivation is. Is it Champions League, money? Is it just to continue playing somewhere with a nice climate? This will be going on behind the scenes but we’ll find out I’m sure in due course.”
