Revealed: Here's why Sporting Lisbon cannot re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo from Man United

Legendary striker Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Manchester United hangs in the balance after the Portuguese icon's latest showdown with manager Erik ten Hag after last week's drama at Old Trafford. The 37-year-old stormed down the tunnel and left the Theatre of Dreams before the final whistle during the Red Devils' 2-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur, sparking a massive public outburst. Although the talisman is back training with the first-team squad after being axed for last weekend's trip to Chelsea, uncertainty looms over what is in store for the footballing great. Amidst rumours that the club is likely to release Ronaldo in the January transfer window, Sporting Lisbon has ruled out re-signing the Portugal international, with manager Ruben Amorim breaking his silence over the transfer saga.

After moving to Lisbon from his home on the island of Madeira at the age of 12, Ronaldo began his illustrious professional career with Sporting CP. At the age of 17, he made his first team debut. A year later, he joined Manchester United, which launched him to superstardom. But the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, who returned to Old Trafford after successful stints with Real Madrid and Juventus in the summer of 2021, has seen his fairytale reunion turn sour despite being the Red Devils' top goal-scorer last season. The Portuguese talisman had expressed his desire to leave the club this summer for a shot at Champions League glory but failed to find a suitor. Since then, the legendary striker has fallen out of favour with manager Ten Hag and has been more of a bench warmer than the player he is known to be.

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According to reports, Manchester United and Ronaldo are willing to part ways in the January transfer window after the Qatar World Cup 2022, even though the exact exit route remains unclear. The Red Devils don't view merely releasing the five-time Ballon d'Or winner as a free agent as the best option due to the expense. Earlier this year, several European clubs like Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Marseille, etc., washed their hands off signing the prolific striker. However, it is believed that Ronaldo's boyhood club Sporting Lisbon were trying to strike a deal towards the end of August. Reports had said at the time that one of their considerations was offering the Portuguese superstar an ownership stake in the club.

However, speaking ahead of Sporting Lisbon's Champions League clash against Tottenham Hotspur, the club's manager Ruben Amorim quashed rumours of a possible reunion with Ronaldo. He added that the Portuguese club don't have the money to re-sign the legend even if the 37-year-old would be a 'dream' transfer.

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"Ronaldo is a top player," Amorim said. "He is a Manchester United player. Everybody in Sporting dreams of the return for Cristiano but we don't have the money to pay his wages. I think he is happy in Manchester but is not playing so that is the problem. But I have my problems so it is Ten Hag's problem! I am very happy with my players, no problem at all at the moment, so I just want to beat Tottenham," the Sporting Lisbon boss added.

Meanwhile, Manchester United are gearing up to host FC Sheriff in their Europa League clash on Thursday. The last time the two teams faced each other, Ronaldo scored his first goal of this campaign off a penalty kick. The Portuguese talisman was training with the first-team squad on Tuesday at the Carrington Ground, so it will be interesting to see if Ten Hag can keep the events of last week behind and give the 37-year-old striker another start in the ongoing campaign.

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