Ronaldo issues transfer ultimatum – media
Cristiano Ronaldo has confided that he is willing to walk away from Manchester United this summer unless the club makes major moves in the transfer market to back new manager Erik ten Hag, according to a report.
Ronaldo, 37, has one year remaining on his deal at the Old Trafford club with the option of an additional season beyond that, but could call it quits even before the next campaign.
That’s according to a report in Portuguese outlet Record, which claims Ronaldo has that told his inner circle that a lack of transfer activity to overhaul the weak Manchester United squad could see him look elsewhere.
The star number seven – who top-scored for United on his return last season with 24 goals in 38 games across all competitions – has publicly given his backing to new boss Ten Hag, who has taken over from underwhelming interim manager Ralf Rangnick.
“What I know about (ten Hag) is he did a fantastic job for Ajax, that he’s an experienced coach. But we need to give him time,” Ronaldo said of the Dutchman in comments to the Man Utd website.
“Things need to change the way he wants. I hope we have success, of course, because, if you have success, all of Manchester is going to have success as well. I wish him the best.
“We are happy and excited, not only as players, but the supporters as well. I wish him the best and let’s believe that, next year, we are going to win trophies.”
Ronaldo and Ten Hag are said to have spoken several times, while the new Old Trafford boss described the star forward as “magnificent.”
But the appointment of the former Ajax man will not be enough to appease a concerned Ronaldo, with dramatic claims that the star is even on the verge of a “nervous breakdown” over United’s lack of transfer activity thus far this window.
United have mostly prominently been linked with Barcelona’s Dutch playmaker Frenkie de Jong, and are said to be in talks with Danish midfielder Cristian Eriksen after he made a successful Premier League return with Brentford following his Euro 2020 heart scare.
Elsewhere, United have been linked with Ajax’s young Brazilian winger Antony.
But with free agent Paul Pogba leaving, almost certainly to Juventus, United will need to do significant business after sinking to their lowest-ever Premier League points tally last season when they ended sixth in the table.
As expected from one of the game’s all-time greats, Ronaldo chipped in with a steady flow of goals, but the Portuguese star frequently cut a frustrated figure on the pitch during an insipid campaign from the team.
It has been suggested that should Ronaldo depart United, one potential destination could be Bayern Munich, where Polish forward Robert Lewandowski is pushing for an exit this summer.
Those claims have been refuted elsewhere, however, with Bayern president Herbert Hainer saying back in 2020 that Ronaldo would be “too old” for them.
