Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has given the green light for Cristiano Ronaldo’s sale before the transfer deadline, according to The Times’ Duncan Castles.
The Dutch tactician has publicly stated that Ronaldo remains in his plans, but it appears that his stance has changed behind the scenes after the 4-0 loss at Brentford this month.
Ten Hag was critical over individual errors and the lack of physical effort against the London side, and it seems Ronaldo was particularly unimpressed with the manager’s response.
The United boss is now prepared to part ways with Ronaldo, and it is claimed that the Glazers are also willing to accept a commercial loss in the process of him leaving the club.
Whether that happens remains to be seen. Ronaldo has yet to receive any offers from European clubs amid his hefty wages. There are no guarantees of him moving on for now.
Jorge Mendes indirectly advocating Ronaldo’s exit from United
It is well known that Castles has good association with super-agent Mendes, who is also Ronaldo’s long-term representative.
Hence, we firmly believe the story is agent-driven. Mendes has been desperately trying to find offers for Ronaldo in recent weeks, but there has been no progress whatsoever.
The likes of Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid have distanced themselves from potential bids while Real Madrid have no plans of a reunion with the 37-year-old star.
United will want a replacement for Ronaldo first before selling him, but the chances of him leaving the club look bleak unless he is prepared to accept a significant pay-cut.
In our opinion, Premier League rivals Chelsea could end up offering a lifeline to the £27 million-rated star.
The west London outfit will take their spending spree to £255m with the signing of Wesley Fofana, and they are still on the look out for an elite centre-forward option.
The Blues have an interest in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but have not agreed on a fee. With United entering the race for him, there could be a possible domino effect.
Aubameyang’s arrival at Old Trafford could pave the way for Ronaldo’s move to Stamford Bridge.
Furthermore, we could see the prospect of Chelsea lowering their fee for Hakim Ziyech thus allowing Ajax to sign him. This would ensure Antony’s switch to Old Trafford.
