LONDON —
Cristiano Ronaldo is searching for a new team after a tumultuous few hours at
Manchester United, during which they announced the superstar forward was
leaving and the club could be sold.
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The veteran
Portugal forward set the stage for his Old Trafford exit last week with an
outspoken interview on
TalkTV, in which he said he felt “betrayed” by the club
and had no respect for new manager Erik ten Hag.
There was clearly
no way back for Ronaldo and United issued a statement on Tuesday confirming
they were parting ways with one of the greatest players in their history by
“mutual agreement, with immediate effect”.
Ronaldo,
currently at the World Cup in Qatar, issued a statement of his own, declaring
his love for the club and saying it “feels like the right time” to seek a new
challenge.
As well as
lashing out against United and Ten Hag, the 37-year-old was scathing about the
club’s unpopular US owners in his interview with Piers Morgan.
Ronaldo said the
Glazer family, who loaded the club with huge debts when they bought it in 2005,
cared more about the money-making potential of United than results.
Hours after the
statement confirming Ronaldo was exiting the club, United issued another
bulletin saying the Americans were considering selling up.
Future options?
The problem for Ronaldo is that leading English and European clubs opted
against moving for him in the summer transfer window despite his desire to
leave Old Trafford.
They will likely
be even more wary now, having witnessed his erratic behavior.
The five-time
Ballon d’Or winner, who recently scored his 700th club goal, is a fading force
yet still commanded a huge reported weekly pay packet at United of around
£500,000 ($595,000).
He has reportedly
held talks with
Bayern Munich and been linked with an emotional return to
Sporting Lisbon, where he came through the youth ranks.
Ronaldo said he
was offered a two-year deal worth $360 million by a Saudi Arabian club and
remains insistent there is interest from Europe’s top clubs.
Should a European side
fail to come calling, a move to the US is a possibility.
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