It is crystal clear that Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave the Old Trafford helm due to the club’s failure to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. Nonetheless, it still came as a shock when Erik Ten Hag decided to let this do so.
Ronaldo’s absence in the first eleven of Manchester United in recent fixtures has faced the scrutinizing eyes of the critics. The Dutchman kept this football star as an unused substitute in Sunday’s match, rather than bringing him out on the field, saying it was “out of respect for his big career.”
A lot of criticism was poured on the Red Devil coach for this statement. However, the six-time Ballon d’Or winner was seen on the field for the full 90 minutes in Thursday’s match against Omonia Nicosia in the Europa League, where Ronaldo missed his chance to reach the 700th goal threshold.
The agent of this Portuguese player, Jorge Mendes, is now trying to find a new club for this striker, following Ronaldo’s decision to leave the Red Devils. The 37-year-old has decided to explore other clubs, particularly the club where he started his career—Sporting CP. Cintra’s club is also seemingly welcoming towards their former player.
Whether Ronaldo will join the other clubs or stay at Old Trafford after January 2023 depends on the viable options available for his departure. Although Ten Hag had already asked Manchester United to prepare for the player’s departure, he was quite impressed with Ronaldo’s training sessions. But he feels his job is difficult with CR7 trying to imprint upon his team.
