Cristiano Ronaldo has his wish. He is no longer a Manchester United player.
The pair may not have been able to agree on much but the mutual dismissal comes as no surprise, following Piers Morgan’s explosive interview in which the 37-year-old accuses his employers of ‘betraying’ him “. Now a free agent, Ronaldo can join another team immediately and won’t have to wait until January.
So where will he go? Who could possibly seek to integrate it? Here are the options offered…
Who is Cristiano Ronaldo leaving Manchester United for?
1. Atletico Madrid
Cristiano Ronaldo has etched himself into the history of Atletico Madrid’s greatest rivals, with four Champions League titles at the Bernabeu and a goal-blanks record. He knocked Atleti out of the competition in 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 with Real – twice in the final, once in the semis – before wiping them out in black-and-white Juventus in 2018 with a stunning hat-trick in the second leg.
But Atletico Madrid were heavily linked with the star this summer when whispers of his displeasure first surfaced. Diego Simeone has already signed aging forwards and would likely pair Ronaldo with another player – Joao Felix or Antoine Griezmann – to get the most out of the Portuguese.
The sticking point? Fans vehemently protested the potential signing and El Cholo himself has since rejected the possibility of landing the superstar. This one seems dead in the water at the moment – but a lot can still change in the saga.
2.Chelsea
Chelsea are said to be one of the few teams to have considered the possibility of signing Ronaldo this summer. In the end, the Blues opted for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on the grounds that Thomas Tuchel knew what he was getting from his former Dortmund man.
Well, Tuchel has only had one game to work with Auba and the Gabonese captain hasn’t exactly been uprooting trees at Stamford Bridge. With owner Todd Boehly apparently keen to add this defining superstar to his new toy, CR7 could still be sued – especially now that there is no worry of having to agree a fee with United.
Chelsea are eighth, have lost the last three and drawn before that in the Premier League… Could Ronaldo be the answer for Boehly and Graham Potter?
3. AC Milan
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is 40 years old; Olivier Giroud 35. If AC Milan sign Ronaldo, they could field all three forwards at a combined age of 115 this season.
Ronaldo would have been offered to Rossoneri, although Scudetto holders turned down the opportunity to sign him. Ronaldo can, however, lower his demands to join a Champions League team, even for just one year – while Milan can become more confident of now bolstering their European chances but their chances of retaining the Scudetto with a serial goalscorer of both competitions. .
It seems unlikely at the moment… but don’t rule it out.
4. Inter Milan
Like their closest rivals, Inter Milan have also reportedly been offered Cristiano Ronaldo. They, too, apparently said no.
But for all the reasons Milan could sign Ronaldo, so could Inter. They too are looking to secure a Serie A title and establish a small dominance in a league in which the power is currently in the air. Inter will also want a strong European campaign after reaching the next round, and if the deal is right, getting CR7 will seem like a no-brainer.
Whether or not Mendes, Ronaldo and United return for a second offer remains to be seen. The n°7 is also free, following the transfer of Alexis Sanchez to Marseille…
5. Paris Saint Germain
The Hollywood option. Not content with having a top three of Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe, PSG could theoretically tempt Ronaldo to the riches of the Parc Des Princes.
Messi and Ronaldo have never played together, but the world would surely love to see him. Mbappe apparently has more weight after his new contract and would surely consider asking for the player he believes is his personal hero.
Only it does not smell very PSG. Crazy, right? The Parisians and new sporting director Luis Campos have signed Vitinha, Renato Sanches, Hugo Ekitike and Nordi Mukiele, rather than the biggest possible names they can take a shot at. Maybe we will never see Messi and Ronaldo on the same side.
6.Borussia Dortmund
Yeah, we know it’s weird. But in some ways, Cristiano Ronaldo in the Bundesliga makes a lot of sense.
From CR7’s perspective, he would get a Champions League campaign, likely qualify for the tournament again for next season and possibly win the Golden Boot in Germany’s top tier – although he won’t. only have half a season to do it (the leaders are out of six at the moment). From BVB’s perspective, they have unfortunately lost summer signing Sebastien Haller to the sidelines, with the Ivorian undergoing chemotherapy after being diagnosed with a testicular tumour. They can hardly rely on 17-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko throughout the season.
Finances may need to be ironed out in this one, while the reaction of Dortmund fans to such a signing could well be significant, given how fan power reigns in Germany. Bayern Munich watch out…
7. Sportsman
Many players return to their boyhood club at the twilight of their lives. Could Cristiano Ronaldo do the same?
The positives of the move are similar to, well, the positives of almost every other possible move on the table right now – and the main reason he returned to United. Athletes are about good enough that they should qualify for the Champions League with Ronaldo in their team, while the league is of the quality that Ronaldo should score a lot and look good.
The downside, once again, is the financial side of the deal – and Sporting won’t be in the Champions League for the second half of the season. Will romance trump money in this case?
8. Outside Europe
Get used to playing in the Middle East, Cristiano. It could be your new home.
Ronaldo has reportedly been offered a chance to play in Saudi Arabia over the summer with one of the few concrete offers for the striker coming from there. MLS also remains an option, with David Beckham’s Inter Miami linked with a host of other teams.
But while Ronaldo would be a huge blow for both – and he’s not getting any younger – it seems from his comments about his recent experiences at United that he doesn’t feel like he’s finished at the top. level. Maybe he still has one last huge move in him…
