Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United remain in deadlock over his future.
The Portuguese superstar returned to the club’s Carrington training ground this week after missing their pre-season tour of the Far East and Australia.
Ronaldo scored 24 times in 38 games last season but decided that he wants to end his Old Trafford return after just one season, following the club’s failure to secure a Champions League place last term. However, finding a suitor has not proved easy, with a host of European football’s elite shying away from any deal for the 37-year-old.
Ronaldo reiterated his stance in talks with club bosses - including Sir Alex Ferguson - on Tuesday. He arrived at Carrington with his agent, Jorge Mendes, and his desire still to depart was made clear, even asking to be released from his contract to make it easier to find a new home.
Yet he was met with similar resistance from the Red Devils’ top brass. United have made clear they’ve no interest in releasing Ronaldo and still want him to be part of new manager Erik ten Hag’s squad in 2022-23. Ten Hag has repeatedly insisted that he wants Ronaldo as part of his team.
Duly, Ronaldo was in attendance for the club’s behind-closed-doors friendly win over Wrexham on Wednesday, and while his mind hasn’t been changed about leaving, he’s told Ten Hag that he will continue to be professional.
It leaves player and club in a stand-off and Mendes working on an answer that works not just for his client - but ultimately for United too.
One option that has been put on the table, as first reported by Mirror Football and despite United chiefs’ reticence to let Ronaldo leave - at least publicly - is allowing him to go out on loan for the season… but only if he agrees to the 12-month extension stipulated in his contract. That would allow him to depart for a Champions League club this season - if one can be found - before returning to United for a final fling when, it's hoped internally, they'll be back at European football's top table.
It’s understood to be a move Ronaldo isn’t sold upon, but one which one source admits is something Mendes is open to, particularly with United's top brass continuing to insist that an outright sale is out of the question.
Mendes feels that without the necessity of a transfer fee, he can find Ronaldo an elite club for the season - regardless of what has already been said - and present a solution that will work for all parties.
But that may be easier said than done given where United and Ronaldo currently stand and given the lack of options currently out there among Europe's elite clubs.
