Cristiano Ronaldo (37) will reportedly want to leave Manchester United. The Red Devils’ new boss, Erik ten Hag, says last season’s top scorer is not for sale.
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– He is not here, and it is due to personal reasons, Erik ten Hag answers briefly and in cash to the first of many questions about Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence on Manchester United’s tour in Thailand and Australia.
The red devils will also eventually take the trip to Oslo.
Whether it will be with or without Ronaldo remains to be seen: The Portuguese did not show up until the first day of the pre-season, which was Monday a week ago. The 37-year-old’s absence is due to family reasons, an explanation that was approved by Manchester United.
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He has also not joined the club to Thailand where Manchester United will seriously start the season run-up to the 2022/23 season, but according to ten Hag, Ronaldo will also play in red next season.
– We plan to have Ronaldo this coming season, and that’s all. I look forward to working with him, he says.
–Cristiano Ronaldo said even after the disappointing 2021/22 season that he was looking forward to working with ten Hag, but on July 2, British The Times reported that Ronaldo wants to leave the club and that he has asked the club to accept a bid if it is of a satisfactory size.
– He did not tell me. I’ve read about it, but he’s not for sale. He is part of our plans, and we will achieve success together, says ten Hag.
It was mostly about Cristiano Ronaldo at ten Hag’s press conference on Monday morning. The Dutchman’s first weeks as Manchester United manager have largely ended up in the shadow of Ronaldo’s rumors. But if we are to believe the manager of the Red Devils, he himself has talked to Ronaldo about the coming season, and he describes it as a “very nice chat”.
However, it must have been before the reports about Ronaldo’s desire for a club change.
Cristiano Ronaldo returned to the Manchester club last summer, twelve years after he first left the club, and is under contract until the summer of 2023.
The Portuguese became, at the age of 37, Manchester United’s top scorer with 24 goals, but it was a disastrous season for the Red Devils, who finished in 6th place in the Premier League and went trophy undefeated throughout the season.
According to The Athletic, Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendens, has been in meetings with Chelsea and Barcelona, and Napoli has also been mentioned as a potential buyer.
Also in May, ten Hag expressed that Ronaldo was part of his plans. In other words, getting a new striker was not particularly high on the to-do list, but Ronaldo’s alleged complete reversal – at the very beginning of the pre-season – sticks sticks in the brand new wheels of ten Hag.
The absence of Champions League football and Manchester United’s lack of player acquisitions are among the reasons behind Ronaldo’s desire for a change of scene.
Manchester United have so far only confirmed the purchase of left-back Tyrell Malacia.
– We want to get the right players. We have a very good squad, we are working on developing our game and if we can, we will strike, says ten Hag about the transition activity.
According to reports, Manchester United are working to bring in Christian Eriksen (clubless), Lisandro Martinez (Ajax) and Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona).
On Tuesday 12 July, ten Hag will lead Manchester United for the very first time in a training match against Liverpool.
– Manchester United against Liverpool is always a big match, so we are looking forward and it is a good test for us, says ten Hag, who also confirmed that Harry Maguire will keep the captaincy.
Manchester United open the season at home at Old Trafford against Brighton on Sunday 7 August. Before that time, training matches await against Liverpool, Melbourne Victory, Crystal Palace, Aston Villa, Atlético Madrid and Rayo Vallecano.
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