Ronaldo holds meeting with Manchester United, still desperate to leave

My Football Facts ⇒ Articles

By Martin Graham | 28th Jul 2022

The saga involving Manchester United and Football legend Cristiano Ronaldo continues as the club hit another stumbling block in their bid to convince the superstar to stay put at Old Trafford.

The Portuguese has been looking for a move away from the club as the team failed to qualify for the Champions League last season, which means he would feature in the Europa League. Ronaldo is desperately looking for a move away from the club as he has now failed to withdraw his transfer request.

Ronaldo still wants to leave United

According to reports from The Times, Ronaldo was said to be included in what was called crunch showdown talks that involved him and Jorge Mendes his agent, and the discussions were pointed toward highlighting the 37-year-old’s significance in getting United back to where they should be both at home and in Europe under new manager Erik ten Hag.

Reports this week have seen failure in said talks with the player, as he doesn’t seem to be moved by the possibility of being an integral part of the team under the new manager. Interest from top clubs across Europe, which include Bayern and Atletico Madrid has seen him try to offer his services elsewhere and he is certain the club could let him leave halfway through his 2-year deal.

However, Atletico Madrid have categorically denied interest in the 37-year-old, stating the player doesn’t suit the club’s transfer policy.

Interest in the 37-year-old hasn’t been the best as he turned down a whopping 225 million pounds contract offer from a club in Saudi Arabia’s Pro League.

He recently joined the Manchester United squad training and was also involved in the behind-closed-doors pre-season friendly against Wrexham FC on Wednesday, which was said to be a success for United from the accounts of those involved.

What next for Ronaldo and Manchester United?

There were hopes that United would have been able to convince Ronaldo to stay put at the club but the latest reports show that it is far from a different story. It is understandable in the sense that the Portuguese has never played Europa League football and wants to distance himself from the competition as much as possible.

However, he remains under contract with United and it could end up as a messy affair, with a possibility that could even see Ronaldo hand in a transfer request.

Fans are slowly turning on the 37-year-old and branding him a ‘distraction’ in the club’s dressing room as a new season looms

Ten Hag is a well-known disciplinarian and it would be interesting to see how he reacts to the whole saga, following Ronaldo’s latest contract demands. The season is only a week away and time is now running out for player and club to sort out their issues.