Cristiano Ronaldo held talks over his Manchester United future with boss Erik ten Hag on Tuesday, as Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich both ruled out a move for the legendary striker.
Tuesday witnessed hectic parleys at Manchester United's training facility in Carrington with legendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo holding talks over his future at Old Trafford with manager Erik ten Hag. With reports indicating that Day 1 of the showdown talks ended at a standstill, in what comes as a massive blow for the 37-year-old, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich both have ruled out a move for the forward.
Ronaldo, who expressed his desire to leave Old Trafford for a shot at the Champions League in the upcoming season, arrived at the club's Carrington training ground yesterday with his agent Jorge Mendes. Sir Alex Ferguson, the former manager of Manchester United, was also seen coming, but it's believed he was there for a routine board meeting with Richard Arnold.
While all eyes remain on what transpires between Ronaldo and Manchester United, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich have both ruled themselves out of the running to sign the 37-year-old legend. Atletico was linked with a move for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, but their president Enrique Cerezo has labelled a move for the Real Madrid icon as "practically impossible".
"I've already said this several times, I don't know who invented the Cristiano story, but I'll tell you that it's practically impossible that he comes to Atletico de Madrid. Rumours are rumours, and they have to stay as rumours. If you keep on fuelling the rumours, then eventually it will look like it's something real, which it's not," Cerezo told reporters on Tuesday.
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Meanwhile, Bayern chief executive Oliver Kahn said that despite initial consideration and losing star striker Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona, the Bundesliga champions would not be pursuing a move for Ronaldo. "We discussed about Cristiano Ronaldo internally, I consider him one of greatest players ever. Then we came to conclusion that, despite appreciation for Cristiano, he would not fit into our philosophy in the current situation," Kahn said.
Given that Ronaldo has been posting photographs of his workouts across social media, there are no concerns from the Red Devils over the Portuguese talisman's fitness levels. Although the striker expressed his wish to leave Old Trafford, he appears to be running out of options, and it seems like Ronaldo will have to stay.
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Earlier, Chelsea distanced themselves from a deal for the Portugal international, as have Bayern Munich, Napoli and many other elite clubs that Jorge Mendes, Ronaldo's agent, has tried to sell him to. Although the reported offer from a Saudi Arabian club is exceptionally generous, it does not provide Ronaldo with his desired legacy. He wants to set Champions League records that he believes will never be surpassed again.
Ronaldo wants to sign off at the absolute highest level. However, it has become increasingly more likely that former Real Madrid and Juventus star will have to remain at Manchester United due to the lack of bites from the major clubs.
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Everyone already has their starting forwards, and only Chelsea appears to have the potential to be swayed by Ronaldo's off-field contributions. This is because, according to reports, Mendes presented his statistics to these clubs while he was there, including his numbers for social media influence, sponsorship revenue, shirt sales revenue, and other things. He is not, however, in their plans, although they claim now. Their priority is to bolster the defence.
As a result, Ronaldo is left with few options. If he does go to Saudi Arabia, it goes against everything he has said and everything we know about him and his career. We know that the Portuguese talisman does want to be fighting at the most incredible level. Manchester United has always been incredibly composed and at ease. They have insisted that Ronaldo will complete the remaining year of his contract and that he is not for sale.
We'll have to wait and see how they handle things in the future, but as long as the prolific striker stays in shape, they won't be concerned about his condition when he reports back for the upcoming season.
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