Cristiano Ronaldo drops another huge PR bomb on Man Utd
FT Desk
- Updated: 20 Jul 2022 12:33 BST
- 3 min read
That Cristiano Ronaldo has spoken to Piers Morgan about his Manchester United future speaks volumes about how far the club has fallen since the Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Ronaldo's desire to leave Manchester United this summer has become public knowledge.
The Portuguese returned for his second spell at Old Trafford at the start of last season and scored 18 Premier League goals, but the club could only finish sixth and their failure to qualify for the Champions League this term has prompted to Portuguese to seek a way out.
OFFICIAL: Cristiano Ronaldo has been left out of Man Utd's pre-season tour squad pic.twitter.com/gKukXnaisj
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This isn't the first time Ronaldo has sought to leave United. He wanted to go in during his first spell at the club in 2008. But instead of leaning on journalist friends to leak such desires, he struck a deal with Ferguson behind closed doors, stayed an extra season, and joined Real Madrid in 2009 for €94 million.
This time, Ronaldo hasn't given current manager Erik ten Hag nearly the same respect. In speaking to Morgan, the forward and his PR team knew exactly what they were doing.
What did Morgan say about Ronaldo?
"I have had quite a lot of contact in the last week," Morgan told TalkSport, as reported by the Daily Mirror. "I certainly think it'd be highly unlikely if Cristiano Ronaldo plays another game for Manchester United. I just think mentally he's moved on.
"I'm not going to say what we've said to each other but like I said from the start I don't think Cristiano feels Manchester United share his ambitions. I think he feels that the signings they're making, the commitment they showed last season, where they finished up and a lack of Champions League football."
Morgan went on to suggest that Ronaldo should sign for his favourite club, Arsenal - rather skirting over the fact that the Gunners also won't take part in Champions League football next season.
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But Ronaldo knows that feeding such quotes to the media can help force United's hand. The timing is also suspect, with agent Jorge Mendes having thus far struggled to attract bids some of his player's favoured potential suitors such as Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain.
It wasn't so long ago that such media leaks at United seems unimaginable. When Jaap Stam criticised the club in his 2001 autobiography, he was sold to Lazio a matter of days later, Ferguson willing to cut his nose off to spite his face in a tactical sense, dressing room atmosphere, paramount.
Whether Ronaldo gets his move remains to be seen, but United's stock has fallen such that onlookers are now left waiting on the player's next move, not the club's.
