As exit speculations grow, Cristiano Ronaldo will not travel with Man United during the preseason
When Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford as one of the most important athletes in world sport, he was expected to elevate Manchester United from improbable contenders to champions. However, not every fairy tale has a happy conclusion.
The 37-year-old missed United's workout for the fourth day in a row after making it clear that he intended to leave this awkward reunion and join another team during the summer transfer window.
The greatest fears of United fans were realized on Thursday night when the team announced that Ronaldo will not be traveling with the group to Thailand to begin the preseason.
Cristiano Ronaldo won't be traveling with the Manchester United team when they leave on Friday for their preseason tour of Thailand and Australia, according to a statement from the club.
"He has been given more time off to attend to a family matter. Cristiano is not up for sale because he has a season-long contract with Manchester United."
In spite of that claim, a number of British media publications report that the Premier League's top clubs are open to receiving bids for their highest-paid superstar, who was originally scheduled to resume training on Monday but took an extended hiatus for unknown reasons.
Ronaldo has informed Manchester United that he wants to leave because he doesn't think the team can win the Premier League next season and he wants to play in the Champions League, according to Fabrizio Romano, one of the world's most dependable journalists in terms of football transfers.
Ronaldo joined United last summer after leaving Juventus, scoring 24 goals in all competitions. But because United concluded the 2021–2022 season with their lowest-ever Premier League point total—58—after just 38 league games, he was unable to assist them reach the Champions League.
The reason for Ronaldo's fervent desire to depart is believed to be that as a result of this heinous failure, he will likely see a 25% wage reduction and the humiliating experience of competing in the Europa League, the second tier of elite European football, next season.The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is reportedly being pursued by Chelsea, Bayern Munich, and Napoli, with Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes reportedly seeking to arrange a transfer for his client for weeks. The Athletic said that last week, Mendes and Todd Boehly, the new owner of Chelsea, met in Portugal to discuss the potential of bringing Ronaldo to Stamford Bridge.
Following Romelu Lukaku's departure, the Blues are eager to add a top-tier striker, but their first priority for now is concluding a deal with Manchester City for Raheem Sterling.
Bayern appears to have taken themselves out of contention to sign Ronaldo, while Chelsea continues to be evasive about their upcoming move. As much as I think Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the best, a transfer would not fit with Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn's concept, he said in a statement to the Kicker on Thursday.
However, Ronaldo's desire to leave the team could force a transfer in the upcoming days or weeks. United must move on in the interim. On July 12, they play Liverpool in Bangkok as the first match of their preseason tour. Three days later, they play Melbourne Victory in Australia. On July 25, they are scheduled to return to Manchester.
Ronaldo's return to the team is not expected any time soon, according to United. He might not even get the chance to say farewell at this point.
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