Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has been handed a double transfer boost following this week’s Champions League results as speculation continues to grow on Cristiano Ronaldo's future.
The Portuguese star stormed down the tunnel in last week’s win over Tottenham, forcing Ten Hag to axe the forward for the trip to Chelsea last weekend. Ronaldo, 37, has been intent on departing United for the past four months and a move appears to be edging closer.
Ronaldo has been linked to Atletico Madrid in a shock swap deal which would see the Spanish side’s record signing Joao Felix move to Old Trafford. The Portuguese star – Ronaldo’s international teammate – has been frozen out of Diego Simeone’s first-team squad and is pushing for an exit.
Atletico’s midweek Champions League exit is a fresh blow to the club’s finances and has hastened their need to cash in on the talented forward, as he was brought on from the bench with just three minutes remaining in the draw against Bayer Leverkusen – a game Simeone’s side needed to win – despite his side chasing goals for the entirety of the match.
Forward Felix, who has been linked with a possible future switch to Old Trafford, joined Atleti in a £113million transfer from Benfica in 2019, has fallen out with Simeone and could be on the move at the earliest possible opportunity. Reports from Portugal say Felix has been "bullied" by Simeone and the situation came to a head when he was left on the bench in each of Atleti's recent Champions League clashes against Club Brugge before Wednesday’s cameo.
Simeone recently rejected suggestions of signing Ronaldo but did so on the basis of his past with Real Madrid, which has not hindered the club from signing players formerly of their city rivals such as Marcos Llorente and Sergio Reguilon in recent times. It is understood that despite his public comments, Simeone would be willing to defy the club’s fans and land Ronaldo – should the possibility become available.
Another Champions League exit which is likely to have financial implications came at Barcelona, whose group-stage exit is a fresh financial hit for the Catalan giants in a campaign in which their financial situation is particularly delicate. That will likely re-focus the spotlight back on midfielder Frenkie de Jong, the club’s highest earner but who has started just half of the club’s games this campaign.
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United boss Ten Hag coached De Jong at Ajax and held a phone call this summer to convince the player that he should join his project at Old Trafford. The Red Devils had an initial transfer fee agreed with Barca valued at £56.2million to sign the midfielder but no agreement could be struck. United and Ten Hag are thought to retain an interest in the player – despite the complications involved in convincing him to leave the Catalan capital.
The future of De Jong was also thought to be linked to that of Busquets, who is tipped to leave the club at the end of the campaign when his contract at the Camp Nou expires. However, Catalan outlet Sport report that Wolves midfielder Ruben Neves - who has also been on United's radar - is their number one target for the position.
