New coach Erik ten Hag has clearly denied rumors of Cristiano Ronaldo’s premature departure from Manchester United and ended speculation about the reasons for the superstar’s absence in the English record champions’ pre-season. “There are personal reasons why he’s not with us right now,” ten Hag clarified at a press conference on Monday: “We’re planning with Cristiano Ronaldo this season and that’s that. I’m looking forward to working with him.”
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In recent weeks, international media have reported that the 37-year-old Portuguese wants to leave the club this summer, partly because ManUnited have not qualified for the Champions League. Chelsea FC, FC Bayern Munich and SSC Naples, among others, were traded as possible buyers. The people of Munich immediately rejected their alleged interest. “He didn’t tell me anything, I just read it,” commented ten Hag: “What I can say: Cristiano is not for sale. Cristiano is part of our plans and we want to be successful together.”
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Most recently, the Portuguese transfer expert Pedro Almeida reported again that there was contact between Ronaldo’s advisor Jorge Mendes and the French champions Paris Saint-Germain. Accordingly, both sides are said to have talked about a possible move from Ronaldo to the club of former Barcelona star Lionel Messi.
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