Manchester United have announced that after his interview with Piers Morgan, the club have taken the decision to part ways with Cristiano Ronaldo. The 37-year-old striker mutually agreed to leave and it was confirmed with a statement on the club's website.
In his explosive interview, Ronaldo stated that he did not respect new manager Erik ten Hag and also took aim at the club's owners the Glazers. Though fans were happy that he criticised the problematic ownership, they agreed that he had gone too far in his barbed comments about their new Dutch manager and there was likely no way back.
The statement read: "Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect. The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford, scoring 145 goals in 346 appearances, and wishes him and his family well for the future."
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"Everyone at Manchester United remains focused on continuing the team’s progress under Erik ten Hag and working together to deliver success on the pitch."
Ronaldo's story with United is now over but the question is where next for the forward? He will likely make a decision after the World Cup as he is hoping to win the trophy with his national team.
The fact he is now a free agent gives him the freedom of choosing anyone, and United could wonder if it leads him to Chelsea's doorstep. Todd Boehly was reportedly interested in bringing the forward to Stamford Bridge in the summer but could not convince then-coach Thomas Tuchel to work with him.
Now Tuchel has departed could Boehly try to make the move happen again, especially since there will be no transfer fee attached to the move?
United shouldn't be too worried if this happens on paper, the forward has only scored three goals so far this season and the team actually looked better without him on the pitch on many occasions. However, there is the possibility that his motivation to prove United and Ten Hag wrong could drive him to try to prove the club wrong.
Whether United will move to replace him in January is yet to be seen, but the club now have shown that they are backing the manager in the dressing room. Hopefully, Ten Hag can return the favour by delivering success on the pitch.
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