Cristiano Ronaldo sealed his dream return to Manchester United last summer - but it has been revealed that the Portuguese superstar was left reeling by his teammates' sub-par fitness levels and the lack of progress at the club.
The 37-year-old topped United's scoring charts with 24 goals last term but was unable to prevent the club from slipping to their worst ever season in the Premier League era. And things have not improved for Ronaldo this term, where he has cut a frustrated figure after being handed a diminished role by new boss Erik ten Hag.
And a report from The Sun has revealed that a new book based on the illustrious careers of Ronaldo and his great rival, Lionel Messi - which is due to be released next month - will shed light on a number of factors that left the former Juventus man furious last year.
It's claimed that Ronaldo was left 'annoyed' when he realised that United had not evolved since his first stint at the club ended back in 2009, while he was also left stunned by the fact that so few of his new teammates were as committed as himself to maintaining peak fitness levels.
Ronaldo was also 'frustrated' by the club's failure to invest in improvements to their Carrington training base and he also took aim at the tenure of ex-interim boss Ralf Rangnick - who he branded as a "disaster" to a senior executive.
The book - Messi vs Ronaldo: One Rivalry, Two GOATs, and the Era That Remade the World’s Game - also reveals that Ronaldo was persuaded to abandon a move to United's rivals, Manchester City, by former Old Trafford teammate Rio Ferdinand in a 3am phone call.
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While Ronaldo was talking into re-signing for United instead of a move elsewhere, it remains to be seen whether or not he will still be at the club come the end of the season.
The striker tried - and failed - to quit in the summer after United failed to qualify for the Champions League and it's expected that he will double down on his attempts to find a new club in January once the transfer window reopens given he has made just two Premier League starts this term.
Ronaldo's long-term future at the club appeared to be in serious jeopardy after he stormed out of Old Trafford before the conclusion of last week's game against Tottenham.
Ronaldo has since been welcomed back into the fold after apologising to Ten Hag, but the prospects of him remaining at the club beyond January appear to be slim.
