Ronaldo was not included in United’s 21-man squad for Saturday’s 1-0 friendly defeat by Atletico Madrid in Oslo, with the striker still keen to leave the club after talks this week. But in a comment on Instagram he suggested he would feature in United’s final pre-season friendly against Rayo at Old Trafford, saying: “Sunday, the King plays.” And Ten Haag has now confirmed that Ronaldo will be among his options on Sunday, saying: “He’ll be in the squad tomorrow. We’ll see how long he can play.” Ronaldo and his agent Jorge Mendes held meetings with United at Carrington on Tuesday, but his position remains unchanged and he wants to play for a club in the Champions League and win major trophies. United do not want him to leave, however, and Ronaldo has started training with the team having missed the club’s tour of Thailand and Australia due to family reasons. His possible choices elsewhere are limited. Chelsea are no longer an option, while Bayern Munich and Atletico have appeared to be publicly ruled out this week. Atletico fans displayed a banner reading “CR7 is not welcome” at a pre-season friendly on Wednesday. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player Atletico Madrid fans have unveiled a banner in protest at the prospect of signing Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo. While there are major issues to overcome for Ronaldo to join Atletico, a source told Sky Sports News not to rule it out completely just yet.
Has Ronaldo run out of options?
Sky Sports News senior reporter Melissa Reddy: “As we have seen on Instagram, Ronaldo is staying fit so there are no concerns from Manchester United about his fitness or physical level; he is one of the best players in world football. “Ultimately, Ronaldo has stated his desire to leave Old Trafford, but he is running out of options and it looks like he will have to stay. Maybe he’ll try to change that where the 25 percent pay cut in his contract will do. United might want to maneuver and set up a new deal, we’ll have to wait and see. But it doesn’t look like Stamford Bridge is on the cards. “Chelsea have distanced themselves from a deal for Ronaldo, as have Bayern Munich, Napoli and many other elite clubs that Jorge Mendes, who is Ronaldo’s agent, has tried to sell him to. Use Chrome browser for more accessible video player Danny Mills believes it could work in Erik ten Hag’s favor if Cristiano Ronaldo secures a move away from Manchester United “An offer from Saudi Arabia is astronomical, but ultimately, it doesn’t give Cristiano Ronaldo what he wants, which is that legacy. He wants to achieve a Champions League record that he believes no one else will be able to achieve in the future. “He wants to sign at the absolute highest level. Now, it looks more and more that he will have to stay at Manchester United because there are no bitterness from the big clubs.”
United not giving up on De Jong | Open to Bailly offers
United are not giving up on the signing of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong and are comfortable with the extensive deal he has with Barcelona – worth £72m including add-ons. Image: Manchester United still hopeful of signing Frankie de Jong The club will have their own deadline to complete a deal before triggering moves for other targets. Sky Sports News has been told that United are keeping alternatives “warm” should a deal for De Jong not materialize. United have also been interested in Ajax striker Anthony in this transfer window, but not at the price Ajax want. The club are open to offers for defenders Eric Bailly and Alex Telles. There has been interest from Fulham, Trabzonspor and from Serie A for Bailly. United would prefer a sale or at least a loan with an obligation to buy. Telles’ playing time will be further limited next season following the arrivals of Tyrell Malacia and Lisandro Martinez, but there are no concrete offers yet.
Follow the summer transfer window with Sky Sports
Who will be on the move this summer when the transfer window closes at 11pm on September 1st? Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumors on our exclusive Transfer Center blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms. You can also catch up on the information and analysis on Sky Sports News.
