The next days and weeks are going to be vital for Cristiano Ronaldo’s future. The Portuguese star made his intentions clear with Manchester United to leave as soon as possible because his priority is to try a new experience and play in the Champions League. He believes that Man United’s ambition in the transfer market, or lack thereof, is not comparable to other top Premier League clubs such as Liverpool and Manchester City. In short, Ronaldo wants out and his agent Jorge Mendes is exploring options around Europe to find a new destination.
Here’s the latest on his situation:
Bayern Munich and Chelsea are the two clubs with which Mendes has been most insistent thus far. FC Bayern have already denied this possibility in public with Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic, the two important figures on the board, but Mendes will insist again with Bayern and await a response from Chelsea, where the final decisions on new signings are only made by Thomas Tuchel.
It is important to note that the 37-year-old Ronaldo as not shown up for preseason training because he actually has a personal/family issue to tend to, which is completely unrelated to his situation with Manchester United. He’s absent for the team’s preseason tour in Asia and Oceania, with the first friendly set against Liverpool on Tuesday. New manager Erik ten Hag hopes to be able to have a direct conversation with Ronaldo soon because Man United still hope to change the situation and keep the Portuguese. A clear message arrives every day from the club — Cristiano is not for sale, and he is counted as part of the squad for next season.
“He’s not with us. It’s due to personal issues,” ten Hag told the media on Monday. “We are planning with Cristiano Ronaldo for this season. I’m looking forward to working with him.
“He hasn’t told me he wants to leave. I have read, but what I say, Cristiano is not for sale. He is in our plans, and we want to have success together.”
Soon it will be time for answers as Mendes is looking for solutions but has not had contact with Napoli or any other Italian clubs despite the news circulating from England. The focus is on Chelsea and Bayern, while Barcelona are not considered as a credible option — the same goes for Paris Saint-Germain.
What will be the next step? We will know more soon, but for now, it is another summer where Ronaldo’s future will be at the center of the rumors.
