Cristiano Ronaldo didn’t train on Monday, citing family reasons, and isn’t expected to turn up for preparation at Carrington in the coming days as he’s looking to move away from Manchester United.
Chelsea is considering a bid after a meeting in Portugal last week between new club co-owner Todd Boehly and Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes. Ronaldo has also been offered to Barcelona, with Bayern and Napoli also holding preliminary talks around the bidding opportunity.
United’s players were expected to return from their summer holidays on Monday to kick off preseason preparation. Ronaldo didn’t show up and is likely to miss training until Friday, at least. It’s then when United is scheduled to leave for their summer tour to Thailand and Australia.
Ronaldo informed his agent and United that he’d like to leave if a good offer came his way. The board’s stance at this point is that Ronaldo isn’t available for transfer. The 37-year-old attacker is 12 months away from the end of his contract at Old Trafford, but there’s a clause in his deal that allows the club to extend for a further year.
Ronaldo netted 24 times last season in all competitions, being United’s leading marksman. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner wants to leave because he believes United hasn’t done enough to improve its squad for next season. He’s unhappy with the lack of Champions League football as he aims to set new records and challenge for trophies.
🚨: Cristiano Ronaldo will not train at Manchester United today due to family reasons ⌠pic.twitter.com/41kIrYOGau
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 4, 2022
Bookmakers believe Ronaldo is staying
Despite rumors intensifying around him, Ronaldo is likely to stay at Manchester United, according to the bookies. He’s at +140 to continue life at Old Trafford beyond the current transfer window. If Ronaldo is to move, Chelsea is the bookmakers’ favored destination at +200. Bayern Munich follows at +400, with Barcelona at +500. AS Roma is next at +600, while Real Madrid is placed at +1200.
Fancy a bet on Messi and Ronaldo playing together at Paris Saint-Germain? It’s at +1400. A shock return to Juventus is unlikely, but the odds have it at +1600. An emotional return to Sporting Lisbon, where Ronaldo made his professional debut, now stands at +2000. Should Ronaldo consider joining United’s arch-rivals at City, the bookies have the transfer actually happening at +5000. Inter and Tottenham are both at +3300 odds.
