Cristiano Ronaldo returned to England on Monday to have talks with Manchester United‘s hierarchy about his future, reports The Athletic’s David Ornstein. The world-class forward, who scored 24 goals in all competitions last season, has not reported for pre-season training yet nor has he made an appearance under new manager Erik ten Hag.
Cristiano Ronaldo Returns to Manchester United for Future Talks
Cristiano Ronaldo will meet with Erik ten Hag to discuss about his future. Man Utd insist he’s not for sale while Cristiano wants to go – Mendes, still pushing 🔴 #MUFC
No changes on Frenkie de Jong, as of now – no intention to accept a salary cut.
More: https://t.co/mY1unuhXbv pic.twitter.com/AZdOQBh5DT
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 26, 2022
United Taking Ronaldo’s Step as Something Positive
The 37-year-old striker is yet to even train under the new manager’s set-up and wants to clear up his future before focusing on his performances on the pitch. However, his return to Manchester has been taken as a positive sign by those at Old Trafford.
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In fact, the report claims that sources closer to the matter believe that Ronaldo will stay at United next season, even though there is still a lack of clarity over exactly what he will decide. The Portuguese star has already told the club that they should look to accept any suitable offers for him, but no such bids have arrived.
Ronaldo Set to Have Face-to-Face Talks With Ten Hag
The Portugal captain is yet to have face-to-face talks with Ten Hag since the new boss started his duties at the Theatre of Dreams. However, that is now expected to take place with the 37-year-old’s return to Manchester.
Despite this, it is still not clear exactly when Ronaldo will join the Red Devils’ pre-season training sessions or whether he will ever train with them again. The Manchester giants gave their first team players a day off on Monday after returning from their pre-season tour of Asia and Australia, but they will be back to training on Tuesday.
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The major reason behind the Portuguese star wanting to leave Old Trafford is the lack of Champions League football. He wants desperately to play in Europe’s elite club competition and continue building his legacy as well as improving his own record as its all-time highest scorer.
Another is that Ronaldo doesn’t feel like United are ambitious enough to fight for major trophies. However, with Chelsea now ruling themselves out of the race to sign him and Atletico Madrid not currently in the financial position to be able to make the move, the Portuguese forward might be forced to stay and spend another campaign with the Red Devils.
