KEY POINTS

  • Cristiano Ronaldo has a year left on his Man Utd contract
  • He moved from Juventus to Man Utd last summer
  • Ronaldo netted 24 goals in 38 games last term

Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly wants to leave Manchester United despite head coach Erik ten Hag wanting him to stay ahead of the 2022-23 season.

Ronaldo, who was not a part of Manchester United's recent pre-season tour of Australia and Thailand, is yet to work under Ten Hag. He is flying to England to hold talks with the club over his future, The Athletic reported.

"As reported last night, Cristiano Ronaldo is returning to Manchester United. Not much has changed – he still wants to leave and his agent Jorge Mendes is still working to find a solution, but Erik ten Hag wants to keep him," Fabrizio Romano, who has a credible record in the European transfer market, wrote in a column on Caughtoffside.

Manchester United not only failed to win a trophy last season, but also failed to secure a Champions League slot for the upcoming campaign after finishing outside the top four in the Premier League.

Ronaldo, who has never played in the Europa League – the second-tier European competition – had earlier requested Manchester United to let him leave if a suitable offer comes up. The Old Trafford side will receive some fee as the Portuguese star still has a year left on his contract.

Manchester United's players were given a day off after flying back from Australia and will report back for training Tuesday ahead of their final two games of pre-season.

As of now, it is unclear if Ronaldo will train with Manchester United this week, but he is expected to have a face-to-face dialogue with Ten Hag in the coming days, the Athletic report claimed.

Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United celebrates after the Premier League match between Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford on February 15, 2022 in Manchester, England. James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images

It was earlier reported that Manchester United were targeting Bayern Leverkusen's teenage forward Florian Wirtz as Ronaldo's replacement.

Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford for his second stint with Manchester United last summer. The former Juventus forward made an instant impact as he netted a brace in the Red Devils' opening league game, which they won 4-1.

The 37-year-old finished the 2021-22 season as Manchester United's leading goal scorer, with 24 goals and three assists in 38 games in all competitions.

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