Manchester United report: Cristiano Ronaldo suggests short-term Real Madrid move
Manchester United's disgruntled striker looks almost certain to leave the club this winter.
Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo has offered his services to former employers Real Madrid for the second half of the season, according to reports.
The Portugal captain’s time at Old Trafford is almost certain to be over after he said he felt “betrayed” by United and hit out at manager Erik ten Hag in a recent interview.
A contract termination could be on the cards, which would leave Ronaldo on the hunt for a new club when the domestic season resumes at the end of December.
According to Spanish outlet Sport, Ronaldo’s representatives have offered his services to Real Madrid for the second half of the 2022/23 season.
The short-term move could fix a problem for the La Liga giants, as their star striker Karim Benzema has struggled for fitness this season and was ruled out of the World Cup with injury two days before France’s first game.
The main stumbling block, as always, is how to afford Ronaldo’s wages, which are reportedly worth around £480,000 a week in Manchester.
Several clubs, including Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon, Napoli and Atletico Madrid, have been linked with the 37-year-old since the summer.
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Ronaldo’s form this season has been poor, with the striker mustering just one goal in 10 Premier League games, although his game time has been limited under Ten Hag.
The veteran is Real Madrid’s all-time top scorer and won four Champions League titles with the club between 2009 and 2018.
He is Portugal’s captain at the World Cup, where their campaign begins against Ghana on Thursday.
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.