Why Cristiano Ronaldo is closer to staying at Man Utd than ever
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 23 May 2023 08:46 CDT
- 3 min read
Cristiano Ronaldo continues to be linked with a transfer away from Manchester United, but the prospects of a deal materialising are diminishing.
FootballTransfers previously revealed that Ronaldo would likely be “forced” into remaining at Old Trafford for the coming season, and the likelihood of that has grown in recent hours with the news that Atletico Madrid have distanced themselves from any move.
The Spanish club had been the team most heavily linked with the 37-year-old forward, but they have now claimed it will be “practically impossible” to complete a deal, despite Ronaldo indicating a willingness to slash his wages by up to 30%.
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“I don’t know who invented this story about Cristiano, but it is practically impossible for him to come,” president Enrique Cerezo told Marca.
The major stumbling block to a deal appears to be fitting Ronaldo’s salary demands – even the reduced ones – into the club’s wage structure. Big-earning players like Antoine Griezmann and Saul are likely to need to move on if they are to capture the Portuguese, and in a market that has largely deflated, that does not appear possible.
“It seems as if people are counting on Griezmann’s departure as having an open door and that’s not true. If the rumours continue to increase in number, it will seem like it is true but that’s not the case,” he continued.
“The accounts are being managed well, but we had to sell for €40m and we will try to do some good things so that it is not necessary to sell.”
Ronaldo running out of options
Beyond Atletico Madrid, there are no obvious answers to the Ronaldo problem for Manchester United. Barcelona and PSG have declined the forward, Real Madrid appear to have no intention of reuniting with him, while Chelsea and Bayern Munich have both been cool over the veteran.
With Atleti now distancing themselves from a deal, Ronaldo is more than ever set to stay at Man Utd – even if he wants to leave.
