Carrington was the scene of some pretty serious crunch talks on Tuesday.
Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at the training base with his agent Jorge Mendes to discuss his future with new Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag. It was the first time he saw the Dutchman after announcing he wants to leave United this summer and join a side competitive in the Champions League, as he missed the club's pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia due to personal reasons.
Sir Alex Ferguson was also present at the training ground, although it's unclear whether he was involved in the talks. United are adamant the legendary Red Devils boss was there on other business, but it's an unusual coincidence, especially considering the role he played in convincing Ronaldo to return to Old Trafford last summer and snub Man City.
Ronaldo remained at the training ground until 5pm before he left the facility via the back exit.
United are obviously keen to retain their talisman but Ten Hag was unable to change the forward's mind in Tuesday's meeting and he remains determined to leave this summer and join a club challenging for major honours.
The Red Devils are considering a compromise, however, as first reported by Mirror Football, and would consider letting the Portugal international leave on loan for the season.
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The suggestion took Ronaldo by surprise, as he has one year left on his contract.
But, crucially, United have the option to extend the deal by another year, and this appears to say a lot about Ten Hag and what he has planned for the Red Devils.
While United cannot give Ronaldo Champions League football this campaign, Ten Hag is clearly confident that things will be different next season, following his first year in charge.
Should everything go to plan then Ronaldo could, in theory, spend a season on loan elsewhere and return to a United side next summer that have turned a corner under Ten Hag and are back in the Champions League.
At which point, Ten Hag could trigger the one-year extension in Ronaldo's contract and he can represent the club one last time.
It's certainly a long shot but does appear to work favourably for all parties involved and says a lot about Ten Hag's ambition and determination to hit the ground running.
