Cristiano Ronaldo, who arrived at Manchester United's training ground on Tuesday morning, is expected to meet Erik ten Hag amidst demands for transfer exit.
In what is expected to be a hectic week at Old Trafford, legendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo is officially back in England to finalise his Manchester United future. The Portuguese superstar, who arrived at the club's Carrington training ground on Tuesday, is expected to meet new manager Erik ten Hag amidst demands for a transfer exit.
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Last night at 9:30 p.m., Ronaldo arrived at Manchester Airport via private jet from Madrid. He was then transferred to a hanger, where a waiting car picked him up and drove him home. The 37-year-old is reportedly prepared to tell the Red Devils in a showdown meeting that he would NOT accept their new contract offer.
However, the differentiating factor can be Manchester United legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson, whose presence at Carrington has sparked speculation that he is likely to broker talks between Ronaldo and Erik ten Hag.
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The Portugal international played for the Red Devils for six seasons under Ferguson after he was signed at 18. Ronaldo then went to play for Real Madrid and Juventus before returning to Manchester United last summer after 12 years. Despite scoring 24 goals this season, the club could only finish sixth last season, forcing Ronaldo to demand a permanent transfer in a bid to play in the Champions League.
Ronaldo missed United's pre-season tour to Thailand and Australia due to "family reasons" as speculation mounted over his future. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has never played in the Europa League in his glittering career and has no intention to start now.
Over recent weeks, Manchester United insisted that Ronaldo is not for sale, while Ten Hag has also maintained that the prolific striker is a crucial part of his plans. Now the two are set to hold talks face-to-face after the Portuguese icon made his way to the club's training ground at Carrington.
The Red Devils are trying to convince the 37-year-old legend, who returned to Old Trafford last year on a two-year deal with an option of a third, to stay put.
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Manchester United are reportedly willing to accept a loan move for the upcoming season so Ronaldo can play in Europe's top club competition, with Atletico Madrid the latest club to be linked. However, that would only be under the condition that the talisman commits to another 12 months, meaning he would still be a player at Old Trafford at 39.
Ten Hag and Ronaldo met towards the fag end of the previous campaign, but they haven't spoken since the Portugal international said he wanted to leave Old Trafford to play Europe's elite football competition. United CEO Richard Arnold and Ronaldo's trusted agent Jorge Mendes, who has been promoting his client to Europe's premier teams, have reportedly kept in touch. Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, and Napoli have received offers for Ronaldo, but no agreements have been reached yet.
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Ten Hag's team, meanwhile, had Monday off following the lengthy travel from Perth, Australia, at the weekend. They returned to practise on Tuesday, while Ronaldo stayed in shape in Lisbon. The Red Devils won three of their four games on tour, with the only blip a 2-2 draw with Aston Villa on Saturday.