Has late-career Ronaldo tarnished his once-golden reputation at Manchester United?

Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to Manchester United for talks with club officials regarding his future after a three-week absence. Whether that means he will stay at Old Trafford for another season remains to be seen.

Ronaldo had not joined the Red Devils’ pre-season preparations, citing family reasons. But the cat was out of the bag. The Portuguese legend clearly wanted out of the club.

Problem is, there has been no serious takers.

After being linked with Naples, Roma, ​​PSG, Bayern Munich and even Barcelona, Atletico Madrid became the latest possible destination, and perhaps the most credible due to the strong connections Jorge Mendes, Ronaldo’s agent, has with the club.

In what has become the summer transfer window’s hottest topic, Ronaldo remains the center of many rumors.

According to the international press, Mendes has already told clubs that the Portuguese star is willing to take 30 percent cut to his salary, estimated to be $30 million a year, in order to embrace a new challenge.

The 37-year-old needs a quick resolution. He is looking for a club that will provide Champions League football as he looks forward to November’s World Cup, a competition he has never won.

While this is understandable, satisfying professional ambition at the expense of his own club does not seem to be an attitude worthy of an athlete for so long regarded as exemplary.

Ronaldo has failed to show up for training, with little justification. Perhaps, thanks to his enduring brilliance and reliability, he has attained a status that allows him to be judged differently to fellow professionals. Until this summer, his professionalism was unquestioned.

Now, it seems, he has lost the attribute that set him apart: The humility of not acting