Following his explosive interview with Piers Morgan, Cristiano Ronaldo will leave Manchester United in the coming months, but it is unlikely that he will return to Sporting Lisbon.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s chances of leaving Manchester United have been hampered yet again after his former club Sporting Lisbon turned down offers to sign him.
Ronaldo is desperate to leave Old Trafford after his explosive interview with Piers Morgan, in which he accused United of treason and trying to force him out. If United is warned under employment law that his behavior is a serious enough breach of discipline, they may be able to terminate the superstar’s contract.
The Portuguese superstar hopes to leave during the January transfer window, but it is becoming increasingly difficult due to a lack of suitors, with Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich among the clubs being ruled out.
Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, contacted various clubs over the summer months in a desperate attempt to secure a transfer, but was unsuccessful. That was after a season in which the 37-year-old netted 24 goals, but he has now found the net just three times – twice against FC Sheriff Tiraspol – and his value has plummeted this campaign as he has fallen in misfortune with Erik. ten Hag.
The superstar striker has continually been linked with a return to Sporting, the club where he graduated from his academy as a teenager before joining United in 2003. The Lisbon-based giants are the club Ronaldo’s family supports, but that return has always appeared. financially difficult.
This possibility has received a further blow when Sporting president Varandas explained that Ronaldo’s return has not even been a topic of discussion for the club, while adding that it was “important to preserve the legacy” of the striker in Lisbon.
Varandas told RTP3, according to Record: “He will always be the reference of the Sporting academy and the best Portuguese player of all time. Now, I’m not going to make noise.”
He was then asked if boss Amorim had vetoed Ronaldo’s return: “Of course not. It was not even a topic nor was he on the table. There was never a conversation with me, with (sports director) Hugo Viana or (coach) Rubén Amorim. This topic never existed. Although I know that it sells very well in the press”.
Varandas added of Ronaldo, in comments that seemed to be throwing cold water on a move: “It is important to preserve the historic and unique legacy that Cristiano Ronaldo will leave in world sport, whether you like it or not.
“I see him as the best Portuguese footballer of all time, one of the best in the history of world football and he will always be the flag of the Sporting youth academy. Our academy bears his name, all Sporting fans are proud to have trained the best Portuguese player of all time.
“Since the beginning of the season, my coach has been bombarded with the subject at every press conference” (about Ronaldo’s return). There are rumors and soap operas, but there has never been anything rigorous.
“Today I have to say that, out of respect for Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United and, above all, the Portuguese National Team, where he trains, as president of Sporting I will not feed any noise or soap opera.” We need Cristiano Ronaldo in the national team and he has to be playing well”.
