Cristiano Ronaldo has brought war to Manchester United
Karan Tejwani
- 18 Aug 2022 04:20 CDT
- 3 min read
Cristiano Ronaldo has maintained throughout the summer that he wishes to leave Manchester United in this transfer window, and that has created a war within the club.
It was clear after the end of last season that Ronaldo wanted to go to a club where he could play in the Champions League and compete for trophies in the final years of his career.
Manchester United, though, have always maintained that they wanted to keep Ronaldo and that he wouldn’t be allowed to leave the club this season.
Erik ten Hag has also said that he wishes for Ronaldo to stay and has him in his plans, starting him in the loss to Brentford over the weekend which added to the pressure on the new boss.
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Ten Hag's change of plans
There has now, however, been a change in tone from the manager, as reports suggest he is now open to the idea of Ronaldo leaving the club in the remaining days of the transfer window.
Earlier this week, it was said that Ronaldo’s behaviour was damaging the team, as he often sits alone in the team’s canteen and is unwilling to accept Ten Hag’s pressing methods.
This has created a war at the club, as United’s co-chairman Joel Glazer is against the prospect of selling the Portuguese this season, despite the player’s wishes.
The Glazers have the final say on any Manchester United transfers – incoming or outgoing – and showed their power when Anthony Martial’s request for a transfer was rejected in 2018.
🚨 Sporting CP are pushing to sign Cristiano Ronaldo.
■ His former club will compete in the Champions League next season. 🇵🇹
■ It's a complex transfer but they are going for it.
(Source: @Santi_J_FM) pic.twitter.com/gBLulcH1u1— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) August 17, 2022
Joel is the most influential Glazer, despite not attending a Manchester United game since 2019, and he is in regular contact with the club’s chief executive, Richard Arnold.
Morale in the squad is low, and despite Ten Hag’s public stance that he has Ronaldo in his plans, he is privately keen on letting the player go, as there’s a belief he’s more damaging to the squad.
Ronaldo has been rejected by a number of clubs across Europe, including Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, citing the player’s age, tactical fit and high cost of the operation as their reasons.
Atletico Madrid are reportedly the only Champions League club that are willing to do business, but there is resistance from the fans, as they don’t want a former Real Madrid man in their squad.
Ronaldo’s future will dominate the headlines over the next two weeks as his future is still unclear and the window is set to shut soon.
