Manchester United have been told to sell Cristiano Ronaldo after an alleged spat between the Portuguese icon and his compatriot, Bruno Fernandes.
Speaking to Football Insider, former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor has urged Manchester United to consider selling Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer after reports of an alleged bust-up with teammate Bruno Fernandes surfaced.
The Portuguese maverick returned to Old Trafford last summer, re-signing from Juventus after it seemed like he was headed for a transfer to local rivals Manchester City. Since coming back to Manchester United, Ronaldo has hit the ground running and is currently the leading goalscorer for the Red Devils.
However, results have not gone their way, with the team struggling to put together convincing, cohesive displays. It eventually led to the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, while things have not improved a great deal under new manager Ralf Rangnick.
Amidst all this, there have been claims that everything is not alright behind the scenes between Ronaldo and his compatriot and fellow Manchester United talisman, Bruno Fernandes. They are believed to have had arguments in the dressing room, leading to a feeling of disharmony in the squad.
The Portuguese pair have been unable to click on the field either, with Bruno Fernandes enduring his worst run of form since joining Manchester United in January 2020. And now, Agbonlahor has claimed that the Red Devils made a mistake by bringing Ronaldo back to Old Trafford and has told the club to part ways with the No. 7.
“Ronaldo and Cavani, two up front doesn’t work every game because you need one of those players to drop into midfield and get the ball. That’s where they missed Fernandes. You’ve seen the difference in Fernandes since Ronaldo has come in. Before Ronaldo came in, Fernandes was the main man. Now Ronaldo’s the main man,” Agbonlahor said.
“Ronaldo was captain against Wolves. Before Ronaldo came, it was Fernandes who was captain when Harry Maguire was out, and now he’s on the bench. There’s going to be tension there. If you look at the whole situation, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will know he made a mistake by bringing Ronaldo in, simple as that.
“Yes, Ronaldo has scored but he’s scored goals that Greenwood would have scored, Rashford would have scored in that position. For me, I would let Ronaldo go in the summer. Let Greenwood, Sancho and Rashford play together.”
With their hopes of a top-four finish slipping away quite rapidly, Ronaldo, Fernandes and Manchester United will need to get their act together and do so quickly. As for Ronaldo’s future, he signed a two-year deal with the English giants in the summer. A sensational return to Real Madrid has been mooted, while PSG, too, have been linked with a move. It remains to be seen if the situation reaches a point where a parting of ways becomes a serious option.
