There has been talk lately about Cristiano Ronaldo possibly wanting to leave Manchester United at the end of the season should the team fail to finish in the Premier League top four and secure a place in next season’s Champions League. And according to the Mirror, if the Portuguese superstar indeed asks to leave, they won’t stand in his way.
The club may yet change their minds, with no clause forcing them to agree to his departure this summer under such conditions. It is believed to have been an oversight on Ronaldo’s part, as he probably didn’t think United would struggle to finish in the top four. However, the club probably won’t want Ronaldo to stay in their ranks against his wishes. It’s questionable if they want him to stay at all, with his reported £480,000-per-week wages burdening their budget.
Ronaldo was close to joining Manchester City last summer, before United swooped in at the last minute and secured his return to Old Trafford after 12 years of absence. But it seems that many inside the club now believe the move to have been a mistake, driven by commercial reasons as well as the desire to prevent him from joining their city rivals.
Since putting on the United shirt again, the five-time Ballon d’Or has made a total of 27 appearances in all competitions, scoring 15 goals and producing three assists. At the age of 37, he undoubtedly still has quality on the ball and a rather unique knack for finding goals, but his growing frustration with underwhelming results seems to have had a detrimental effect on the rest of the squad.
