There is chatter in the industry that Ronaldo was frustrated over events in the summer when his desire to leave Old Trafford for a Champions League team went unfulfilled.
Mendes, meanwhile, is said to have grown frustrated at Ronaldo’s refusal to accept it was not possible to find a European club. Champions League teams turned down the chance to take Ronaldo for as little as £80,000 per week, with United willing to subsidise the rest of his salary to facilitate a departure in the last window.
In the circumstances, Mendes advised Ronaldo to stay at United, accept his role in Erik ten Hag’s squad and prove his talent on the pitch when called upon. A good season might have brought Champions League teams to the table next summer, or even seen United trigger the one-year extension in his contract.
Ronaldo could have performed a useful if not integral role under Ten Hag and the United manager tried to persuade him of this. Regufe also advocated that Ronaldo fight for his place at Old Trafford.
But Ronaldo’s mind was made up and there have been suggestions he took the initiative. An agent, who doesn’t work for Ronaldo and wished to stay anonymous to protect their relationships, told The Athletic that the 37-year-old called at least one European club executive himself to talk about the prospect of joining. A representative for Ronaldo denied he made direct contact with anybody in club hierarchies.
theathletic.com
