Why Cristiano Ronaldo transfer saga set to begin again in January
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 23 May 2023 08:46 CDT
- 3 min read
Cristiano Ronaldo is set to seek a transfer away from Manchester United once again in January, according to a report.
Ronaldo pushed for an Old Trafford exit in the summer but was frustrated by a lack of suitors.
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However, with Thomas Tuchel’s sacking from Chelsea, the landscape has changed at Stamford Bridge, while the prospect of the Portugal international star departing Old Trafford only seem to have increased as he has been persistently benched by new manager Erik ten Hag.
As a result, Ronaldo has yet to score a goal this season, even drawing a blank in last Thursday’s Europa League encounter against Real Sociedad in a 1-0 defeat.
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While there are signs that Man Utd will be more competitive in the Premier League this season, being on the periphery of the manager’s thinking is not going to be something attractive to Ronaldo, and The Sun reports that his team-mates believe that he is still eyeing a January exit.
According to an unnamed insider quoted by the paper, Ronaldo’s decision to miss much of pre-season has left him at a critical disadvantage compared to his Man Utd colleagues.
“The manager put a lot of work into giving the squad detailed information about what he wanted them to do and how he wanted them to play,” the source said.
“Ronaldo is not up to speed with that and is relying on instinct when he plays. But that doesn't work in Ten Hag’s system.
“He often demands the ball too early in build-up play and drops deep for the ball, but that means when the ball is wide there is no-one in the middle to hit it into.
“Ten Hag and the rest of the players really rate Ronaldo.
"But it’s clear that the success they have had this season is from following tactical instruction rather than the individual brilliance they relied on last season.
“Ronaldo is likely to find himself on the bench again going forward.”
Ronaldo’s Man Utd exit, then, only seems a matter of time, particularly with Chelsea ready to step up their interest.
