Cristiano Ronaldo questioned Manchester United’s ‘executive leadership’ and bemoaned the club’s trajectory before requesting to leave Old Trafford.The 37-year-old has asked the club to consider offers for him this summer as he feels they are unable to challenge for major silverware this term.
Ronaldo returned to the Theatre of Dreams last August and he was supposed to help his former side take the next steps to mount a title challenge but despite 24 goals in all competitions, United collapsed to a sixth-place finish.
The Portugal captain spent six years at the club during his first stint in the north-west, winning three Premier League titles and a Champions League along the way.But the club he rejoined is a pale reflection of the one he left, with the Athletic claiming that Ronaldo questioned the leadership at board level last term.Ronaldo was said to feel that United had lost sight of their ambitions and were not focused on winning trophies like they were under Sir Alex Ferguson.It’s said the veteran regularly bemoaned the ‘trajectory’ that United were under and he felt things did not improve when Ralf Rangnick took charge.
United maintain Ronaldo is not for sale but privately their stance is said to have softened, with some feeling Ten Hag’s rebuild could be accelerated by allowing Ronaldo to leave.