It's finally over. Following Cristiano Ronaldo's explosive interview with Piers Morgan, Manchester United have come to a mutual agreement with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to terminate his contract at Old Trafford.
The decision comes after United had assessed what action to take after Ronaldo publicly took aim at the club's ownership, Erik ten Hag and his fellow teammates. The 37-year-old is now without a club and has become a free agent ahead of the January transfer window.
Arsenal and Chelsea have both been linked with a potential move for Ronaldo in the new year, but after his recent actions it's hard to see why a top club would look to sign the ageing superstar, apart from his stellar goal scoring record.
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Following United's statement to confirm the news, similarities have been made between Ronaldo's situation and that of former Gunners star Mesut Ozil when he left the Emirates Stadium last year. The former Germany international reached agreement with Arsenal over the terms of terminating his contract by mutual consent after Arteta had continually omitted Ozil from his matchday squad.
The German playmaker had initially intended to see out his £350,000-a-week contract but left the Emirates Stadium as a free agent earlier than anticipated to join Fenerbahce, foregoing some of his huge salary to reach a compromise and leave to play regular first team football. This strikes a very similar situation to Ronaldo who had been benched by Ten Hag on a regular basis, with United now able to free up close to 10% of their wage bill with the Portuguese superstar's exit, as per The Telegraph.
Ronaldo leaving could now see United become more active than anticipated in the January transfer window, with the Gunners facing competition from Ten Hag's side for the signings of Mykhaylo Mudryk, Cody Gakpo and Youri Tielemans. It remains to be seen whether a Premier League rival may look to sign Ronaldo on a free as the 37-year-old now focuses on his final World Cup campaign with Portugal.
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