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Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly asked to leave Manchester United if they receive a suitable offer for him this summer.
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Ronaldo, 37, has been linked with moves to several top teams in recent weeks as doubts persisted over whether or not he would fit into the system of new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag.
It appears those doubts could spell the end for Ronaldo’s second spell at Manchester United. A report from The Times states that Ronaldo wants to leave United this summer as he wants to return to play in the UEFA Champions League and challenge for trophies.
The legendary striker scored 24 goals in all competitions for Manchester United in their dire 2021-2022 season but despite his heroics in front of goal, many questioned if his playing style and personality had an overall negative impact on the Red Devils.
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Where could Cristiano Ronaldo go?
He will never be short of suitors and several Premier League and top Europeans clubs have been linked with a move for the Portuguese star.
Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Roma, Sporting Lisbon and Inter Miami are just a few of the teams Ronaldo has been linked with this summer and The Athletic believes that Napoli could be another destination for the legendary striker.
With Chelsea needing a new center forward after loaning out Romelu Lukaku and Thomas Tuchel keen to sign a clinical finisher, perhaps new joint-owner Todd Boehly really wants to make a statement in the transfer market? That said, it would be tough to see United selling Ronaldo to Chelsea, a direct top six rival in the Premier League. More likely is that Ronaldo could head back to Italy or even go to Bayern Munich as they look for a solution to replace Robert Lewandowski, who wants to join Barcelona.
Every top European team will want to sign Ronaldo if they can make it happen and with just one year left on his current contract, his transfer fee will be relatively low.
Simply put: Ronaldo is Ronaldo and he will always be wanted as long as he’s still playing. His return to Manchester United hasn’t quite worked out but he can now point to the change in managers, philosophy and direction of the club as to why he decided to move on.
How did we get to this point?
Ten Hag’s arrival at Manchester United was always going to usher in a new playing style and a new era at Old Trafford.
His playing philosophy of fluid attacking play with interchangeable midfielders and forwards simply doesn’t suit Cristiano Ronaldo anymore.
Ronaldo has realized this and instead of being surplus to requirements this season and spending plenty of time on the bench ahead of the World Cup, he is ready to take his talents elsewhere.
This report coming out just before United are due to head away on their preseason tour of Asia makes perfect sense as Ronaldo clearly doesn’t want to head away on preseason and would prefer to get his next move sorted.
Does this actually make sense for United?
If he does leave Manchester United this summer it will be a sad way for his much anticipated second spell at the club to end.
Ronaldo will always be a hero at Manchester United but perhaps this is the best way for him to move on and remain a legendary figure.
However, for Manchester United’s new manager ETH, letting Cristiano Ronaldo go is probably a smart move on many levels.
He will not have to deal with constantly answering questions as to why Ronaldo isn’t playing and he can now focus fully on players who fit his system better as he tries to rebuild the club.
Report: Cristiano Ronaldo asks to leave Manchester United originally appeared on NBCSports.com
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