Ronaldo risks destroying two legacies by chasing unlikely transfer
Robin Bairner
- 23 Jul 2022 04:37 CDT
- 3 min read
Cristiano Ronaldo’s likeliest exit route from Manchester United this summer is also one that threatens to tarnish his reputation at the two clubs with which he is most closely associated.
Agent Jorge Mendes has been seeking a viable move for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner for weeks but has thus far failed to come up with a solution.
Ronaldo wants to move to a team playing Champions League football that will be in contention for major honours, but the economic crisis gripping world football has complicated that matter. The forward has offered to take a 30% pay cut in order to facilitate a move, which has left Atletico Madrid as his likeliest summer destination.
According to a report from El Larguero on Friday, Mendes is even “optimistic” a deal can be struck with Diego Simeone’s side.
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The ugly side of Cristiano Ronaldo
The footballer appears intent on departing the club, but the manner in which he is trying to force a move has led to claims that he is doing so in an unprofessional manner. Ronaldo is officially on leave for a personal matter, but has not taken part in any of the club’s pre-season training, let alone their tour of Thailand and Australia.
He returned to Man Utd last summer a hero; he is set to leave under a cloud. Yes, he carried a mediocre team last season, but the manner in which he is elbowing his way out of Old Trafford is not befitting of the club legend that he is.
Worse, any potential move to Atletico Madrid threatens to cheapen his achievements at Real. Perhaps the only club that would have been worse for him to move to would have been Barcelona, but according to reports, they didn’t want him.
This is doubly the case because there is a feeling that the Ronaldo camp is leveraging his long-standing relationship with Los Blancos into almost shaming them into making a move to prevent him going to Atleti. It was a tactic that worked last summer when he appeared Manchester City bound only for United to make a late swoop, embarrassed at the thought of one of their iconic players turning out for their neighbours.
Of course, such a transfer deep into his 30s will not obliterate what he achieved earlier in his career at both Man Utd and Real Madrid, but it will certainly detract from it. Furthermore, a deal would only serve to fuel critics who believe that the only thing that Ronaldo cares about it Ronaldo.
