Man United could release Ronaldo on free transfer; but is any European club willing to sign icon?

He has 700 club career goals to his name. He is lauded as one of the greatest players to have graced the game. Yet, legendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo's future remains in limbo after the Manchester United legend caused a massive furore by storming down the tunnel before the final whistle during the team's 2-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday. Although the Portuguese talisman vowed to 'keep working hard' after admitting that the 'heat of the moment' got the better of him, reports indicate that Manchester United are considering releasing the 37-year-old legend on a free transfer if they fail to find a suitor during the January transfer window.

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Ronaldo's transfer saga hogged most of the limelight during the summer transfer window after the Portugal superstar expressed his desire to leave Old Trafford for a shot at Champions League glory. However, the five-time Ballon d'Or failed to find a suitable European club forcing the icon to stay with the Red Devils under new manager Erik ten Hag. CR7 fans expected the striker to continue his form from his comeback season. However, Ronaldo, who chose to miss most of the club's pre-season, seemingly failed to gain the Dutchman's trust and could not convince the boss to start with him this season.

On Wednesday, Ronaldo's frustration of being more of a bench warmer than Manchester United's go-to striker boiled over as the Portuguese talisman left Old Trafford altogether before the final whistle after storming down the tunnel in the 89th minute of their Premier League clash against Antonio Conte's men. The dramatic walk-off sparked a massive outburst among football enthusiasts, with most pundits questioning if the legendary striker considered himself greater than the club itself.

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Ronaldo tried to save face with a 174-word statement after the club confirmed that the Portugal icon will not be considered for selection for their trip to face Chelsea on Saturday. The relationship between the Red Devils and the Portugal international appears to have gone toxic, and according to iNews, United is considering cutting their losses and releasing the iconic striker if they fail to find him a club during the January transfer window. But the larger question arises: Is there any European club willing to sign the star whose attitude and behaviour have become a more significant point of focus?

During the summer transfer window, Ronaldo was linked with several top European clubs like Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Napoli, Sporting Lisbon, etc. However, the Portuguese legend's trusted agent, Jorge Mendes, failed to convince any of the Champions League-chasing clubs to sign the 37-year-old. While the striker's age was one of the factors of concern, the larger issue being reported was the player's attitude in the dressing room. Former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel is said to have told Todd Boehly that Ronaldo's attitude would 'destroy the spirit' of his dressing room when the American owner of the west London club considered signing the talismanic striker.

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Since then, several club managers and presidents have broken their silence over why they did not consider signing Ronaldo during the summer transfer window. Most recently, Marseille president Pablo Longoria shot down the idea of bringing the Portuguese icon onboard if the team do qualify for the Champions League knockout stages. "We are far from ideas like that [of signing Ronaldo], of big stars, individual players. We're more focused on team players who put in individual performances which serve the team. […] We have a project where everyone needs to work for a collective," he said.

The talk in the media should be around Manchester United's spectacular win over Champions League-chasing Tottenham Hotspur. Instead, it's been all about Ronaldo, his current equation with Ten Hag and what the club plans to do in the coming weeks. Of the 10 games in the Premier League, the striker has played eight but only two as a starter, totalling 340 minutes. In the Europa League, he has started all four games. The Portuguese icon's goal-scoring figures are also much below what he is used to. It will be interesting to see if the Red Devils let go of one of their greatest stars, and with no Champions League-chasing club keen to sign Ronaldo, one might wonder if this is the beginning of the end of an era.

Also read: Explained: Cristiano Ronaldo's unique 'sleeping' celebration after scoring 700th club career goal