Gary Neville has told Cristiano Ronaldo to speak out about his transfer saga now, after the superstar hinted he would deliver a tell-all interview in a "couple of weeks".
Ronaldo has been the subject of reports linking him with a departure from Manchester United for much of the summer transfer window. The Portuguese superstar has been seeking to leave Old Trafford after the Red Devils missed out on a place in the Champions League.
So far, United have refused to let him depart, with Ronaldo still having another year to run on his contract. The number of interested clubs has also diminished over the course of the window, with the likes of Bayern Munich and Chelsea playing down links between themselves and the Portugal captain.
On Tuesday night, Ronaldo took to Instagram to hint that he will deliver his version of events in a tell-all interview - albeit only when the transfer window has closed. He added that the speculation over his future had left him feeling frustrated.
"They know the truth when they interview in a couple weeks. The media is telling lies. I have a notebook and in the last few months of the 100 news I made, only 5 were right. Imagine how it is. Stick with that tip," Ronaldo wrote.
Neville though has urged his former United team-mate to open up earlier than planned. He called on Ronaldo to "grab" his situation and try to help the Red Devils recover from their current spiral.
"Why does the greatest player of all time (in my opinion) have to wait two weeks to tell Manchester United fans the truth? Stand up now and speak. The club is in crisis and it needs leaders to lead. He’s the only one who can grab this situation by the scruff of the neck!" Neville tweeted.
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Boss Erik ten Hag handed Ronaldo his first start of the season on Saturday as United were hammered by Brentford. The Dutchman hailed the attacker ahead of the game, insisting he was ready to play despite the saga over his future.
"We had problems with numbers in the squad, in the offensive part. He’s now had two-and-a-half weeks of training, and two halves in games. He is a threat, he can score goals. That’s why [he starts]. We saw in the second half last week when he came on, he makes a difference in the game," Ten Hag said.
The United boss added after seeing his side be defeated 4-0: “I feel really sorry for the fans. They give everything to support us and we let them down. I feel really sorry for them. This is not the way I want to play, this is not the way I want to deliver.
“We are, as a team, in a difficult process. We expected a different start. It seems like what happened in the past, last season, we have to change that very quickly. We need new players, we need quality players and we will do everything to convince them to come.
“Only when we stick together and we work hard we’ll [get] over it. The belief, you have to bring on the pitch for yourself and as a team. Managers are responsible as well. It’s a big responsibility and I take that. I will work on that.”
