Cristiano Ronaldo left out of Man Utd squad for Atletico Madrid friendly

Cristiano Ronaldo has been left out of Manchester United’s squad for Saturday’s pre-season friendly against Atletico Madrid in Oslo.

The club’s superstar forward wants to leave little over 12 months after his emotional Old Trafford homecoming and has missed United’s pre-season campaign and the start to Erik ten Hag’s tenure.

Ronaldo attended showdown talks at the club’s Carrington training base with his agent Jorge Mendes earlier this week in what was his first face-to-face conversation with Ten Hag since his appointment as Ralf Rangnick’s successor.

Mendes is understood to have informed United that there is a live offer on the table from a club which matches Ronaldo’s criteria and that United should allow his client to leave on account of his loyalty to them.

Ronaldo wants to join a club competing in next season’s Champions League so he can solidify his position as the competitions leading goalscorer and appearance maker.

Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Chelsea have distanced themselves from making a move for the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, while Atletico Madrid insist they do not have the required funds to facilitate a deal.

Ronaldo has spent the majority of pre-season in Portugal for family reasons and had refused to comment on speculation surrounding his future until today when he broke his silence on social media, addressing the ‘lies’ he claims have been told about him.

Goalkeepers: David De Gea, Tom Heaton, Matej Kovar.Defenders: Diogo Dalot, Ethan Laird, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire, Tyrell Malacia, Lisandro Martinez, Alex Telles.

Midfielders: Christian Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes, Fred, James Garner, Scott McTominay, Facundo Pellistri, Donny van de Beek.

Forwards: Anthony Elanga, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford, Jadon