Ronaldo asks to leave Man United 'if right bid comes in' to play CL football
The forward returned to Old Trafford from Juventus last summer and was United's top scorer, but the team finished without a trophy for the fifth consecutive season and missed out on qualification for the Champions League.
Cristiano Ronaldo has told Manchester United he would like to leave if they receive a suitable offer this window to continue to play Champions League football, according to reports.
The forward returned to Old Trafford from Juventus last summer and was United's top scorer, but the team finished without a trophy for the fifth consecutive season and missed out on qualification for the Champions League.
He scored 24 goals in all competitions last season, finishing as United's top scorer, but couldn't help them qualify for the Champions League. A lack of Champions League football this coming season and wanting to fight for trophies are thought to be part of the reasoning behind his desire to leave.
Ronaldo is the competition's all-time top scorer and he has played in it every year since 2003, when he was at Sporting Lisbon.
The Portugal player believes he has "three or four years" left at the highest level of the game and would like to spend them at a club where he is capable of adding to his team and individual achievements. The state of disrepair at a United that placed faith in, then dismissed, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick last season is such that Ronaldo no longer views his future to be at Old Trafford.
The forward wants United to be competitive at the highest level and is said to be keen for them to match his ambition by strengthening the squad.
Bayern Munich and Chelsea have already discussed the possibility of extracting the forward from an Old Trafford contract that runs until the summer of 2023 with an option for a further year.
Bayern, the German champions, are understood to have placed a hold on their interest until Robert Lewandowski's sale has been agreed – Barcelona and Bayern are €20 million apart in their valuations of the Poland player. Meanwhile, Todd Boehly, the new Chelsea co-owner, met Ronaldo's representatives Gestifute last month. A return to Serie A — where Ronaldo scored 81 times in 98 league appearances before rejoining United — is another option under exploration.
United have still not made a signing since Erik ten Hag's appointment, although they are close to adding Tyrell Malacia, want Frenkie de Jong and are in the race for Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez.
