EDITOR’S PICK
EKO HOT BLOG reports that Cristiano Ronaldo has asked Manchester United to let him leave this summer if the club receives a reasonable transfer offer.
The 37-year-old Portuguese is hoping to play in the UEFA Champions League for the remainder of his career, but Manchester United didn’t qualify after finishing sixth in the Premier League.
Ronaldo has appeared in Champions League in each of the last 19 years with Manchester United, Juventus and Real Madrid, winning five titles in this stretch. He has never played in the Europa League, only playing one season in the UEFA Cup as a teenager with Sporting CP.
Rob Dawson of ESPN reported last month that Manchester United had told Ronaldo he was not available for transfer, with new manager Erik ten Hag planning on having Ronaldo for the 2022-23 season.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner led the Red Devils with 18 league goals in 2021-22, adding six more in six Champions League matches. He was named to the PFA Team of the Year in England.
Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, met with Chelsea owner Todd Boehly last month, the player has also been linked with a move to Bayern Munich this summer.
David Ornstein (The Athletic) confirms that Napoli are also “understood to be interested,” while PSG “are not currently interested” in pursuing Ronaldo.
“Now United have been told that he wants to leave, should the right bid come in from an interested club.”
“A lack of Champions League football this coming season and wanting to fight for trophies is thought to be part of the reasoning behind his desire to leave.”
“The forward wants United to be competitive at the highest level and is said to be keen for them to match his ambition by strengthening the squad.”
Ronaldo first signed for the Red Devils from Sporting Lisbon in 2003 and went on to score 118 goals in 292 games while winning three Premier League titles and a Champions League in a six-year stay.
He moved on to Real Madrid in 2009 for a world-record transfer fee of $130 million, winning four more Champions League titles and two league titles.
FURTHER READING
He then won two Italian league titles with Juventus in three years before making a sensational return to United last summer.
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