The second stint at Manchester United hasn't been the most fruitful for Cristiano Ronaldo. The forward has warmed the bench almost all of the season so far, and was an unused substitute as the Red Devils suffered a 3-6 hammering at the hands of Manchester City on Sunday. Ronaldo's situation isn't hidden from anyone and even his manager Erik Ten Hag now seems to be open to let the Portuguese leave.
As per a report in The Telegraph, Ten Hag will not stand in Ronaldo's way if he wants to leave the club in the winter transfer window. However, an exit would be allowed only if Ten Hag's condition is met. The condition is nothing else but an 'appropriate offer' that needs to arrive.
Ronaldo has been adamant that he wants to leave United. Although the player hasn't publicly expressed his desire to move, his agent Jorge Mendes was in talks with new clubs for his client almost the entire summer.
Mendes could decide to open talks with top European clubs like Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Napoli, etc. over Ronaldo's possible transfer. When Mendes had approached these clubs in the summer, nothing fruitful came out.
Ronaldo's current contract at Manchester United ends next summer, although there remains an option to extend his stay until 2024. The situation, hence allows Ronaldo to talk to clubs over a free transfer next summer.
The 37-year-old has failed to score a single goal or record an assist in the 6 matches he has played so far. In comparison, he was the club's leading goalscorer in the last campaign. In 30 Premier League matches, he had scored 18 goals and recorded 3 assists for United last term.
He isn't the only senior player at Manchester United whose contract ends next summer. David De Gea, Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, Fred and Diogo Dalot's contracts are also set to run out next summer. How many of these players will continue to remain at Old Trafford, will depend upon many factors.