Manchester United are reportedly ready to allow wantaway forward Cristiano Ronaldo to leave on a year-long loan deal.
According to Daily Mirror, there has been a new twist in the Cristiano Ronaldo transfer saga. Manchester United are showing eagerness to allow the Portuguese international to leave on a year-long loan but on one condition.
Manchester United want to trigger the one-year extension clause on Ronaldo’s contract with the club, which would allow the 37-year-old to leave for a year before returning for the 2023/24 season for a final season with the Red Devils.
Manchester United are hoping that they would return to Europe’s premier football competition, the UEFA Champions League, by then, allowing the veteran striker to play in his favourite tournament for one last time.
Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford in a blockbuster move last summer, rejoining Manchester United in a £12.9 million deal from Juventus, signing a two-year contract. The Portuguese international seemed to be the final piece of the jigsaw, but things unravelled sooner than expected.
After a superb start to the season for the Red Devils and Ronaldo, things took a turn for the worse, eventually culminating in then-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking. The former Real Madrid star’s form took a hit as well, but he returned to his goalscoring ways as the season neared its end.
Ronaldo finished the season with 24 goals scored across all competitions but failed to lead Manchester United to a top-four finish in the Premier League, meaning they missed out on Champions League football for the upcoming season.
Manchester United’s failure to secure Champions League football has forced Ronaldo try to force an exit, but the Red Devils have reportedly come up with an interesting option. They want the Portuguese international to spend a year on loan, with Atletico Madrid the likely destination, before returning to Old Trafford after they exercise the one-year extension option on his current contract.
The club’s headline sponsors, Team Viewer, are said to be unhappy that Ronaldo is close to leaving after just one season. It has forced the English giants’ hand to look for a solution. Of course, all of this is in the hope that new manager Erik ten Hag will be able to lead Manchester United to a top-four finish this season.
