Cristiano Ronaldo remains determined to leave Old Trafford, but his search for a new club has been difficult
(Image credit: Getty)
Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent is in talks with Sporting CP as he tries to engineer an exit from Manchester United, say reports.
The Portuguese striker is determined to leave Old Trafford and join a Champions League team this summer, but his hunt for a new employer has been difficult so far.
He has been linked with some of Europe’s biggest clubs, but none appear to have serious interest in spending big money on the 37-year-old.
The Athletic has reported that Ronaldo reiterated his desire to leave United during recent meetings with the club, but the Red Devils continue to stand opposed to a sale.
Ronaldo is driven by a desire to stave off competition from Lionel Messi as the Champions League’s all-time top scorer – he’s currently 15 goals ahead of the Argentinian – and catch up with his rival as the top scorer in the group stage, where he trails Messi by three goals.
The striker’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has been working to find him a new club and has spoken with Sporting CP about a move.
But the finances such a deal would require, including Ronaldo’s massive salary, would be difficult, and coach Ruben Amorim isn’t convinced about the potentially disruptive arrival of the superstar.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
(Image credit: PA)
Ronaldo began his professional career at Sporting, who he first joined as a 12-year-old in 1997.
He only spent one full season with the Lisbon club’s first team, in 2002/03, before signing for United as a teenager.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Alasdair Mackenzie is a freelance journalist based in Rome, and a FourFourTwo contributor since 2015. When not pulling on the FFT shirt, he can be found at Reuters, The Times and the i. An Italophile since growing up on a diet of Football Italia on Channel 4, he now counts himself among thousands of fans sharing a passion for Ross County and Lazio.
