Manchester United will reportedly allow Cristiano Ronaldo to leave in the summer if they fail to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for next season.
According to an exclusive report from the Mirror, Manchester United are prepared to let go of superstar Cristiano Ronaldo at the end of the season if they do not secure qualification for the UEFA Champions League.
In a sensational move in the summer, Manchester United re-signed club icon Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus when it appeared like he was bound to sign for local rivals Manchester City. The Portuguese maverick’s signing was met with great joy by the fans, although there were some sceptics who questioned his arrival.
Ronaldo answered those critics by beginning the campaign in red-hot form as he helped Manchester United come out of several tricky situations. But the 37-year-old’s form has nosedived in recent weeks, which has coincided with the team’s lean patch. It has led to increased criticism aimed at the Portuguese maverick from former footballers and pundits.
At the same time, Manchester United have also been questioned over their intentions for bringing Ronaldo back to Old Trafford as they continue to hang on to the fourth spot in the Premier League by the slimmest of margins.
? No player has missed more clear-cut goalscoring chances than Cristiano Ronaldo in the Premier League in 2022 (4) pic.twitter.com/ORTKRYnRzK
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) February 21, 2022
However, should they end up missing out on qualification for the UEFA Champions League next term, they may have to bid goodbye to the former Real Madrid and Juventus superstar. It is claimed that Ronaldo will consider quitting the club in the summer in case Manchester United fail to book a spot in Europe’s premier competition for next term.
And the report further adds that if Ronaldo makes it clear that he wants to move on, Manchester United will step aside and sanction an exit. It is claimed that there is a growing feeling within the club that signing him might not have been the best move as he has found it hard to get going of late.
So, even though there is no clause regarding the situation about United missing out on Champions League football in his £480,000 per week contract, the 20-time English champions will not stand in the way should Ronaldo opt to move on. Instead, the club will hope to make some cash from the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s sale if he wishes to leave.
With Edinson Cavani set to become a free agent, Anthony Martial likely to move on permanently and Mason Greenwood out of the picture, Manchester United will need to bring in a top-quality striker in the summer. More so, if Ronaldo also ends up leaving.