Manchester United part ways with Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester United have put an end to their love story with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Everybody knew the termination was coming after the explosive interview. It was just a matter of when the termination would happen. Manchester United parted ways with its prodigal son after his explosive interview with Piers Morgan. The club mutually parted ways with the Portuguese international Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday (22nd November).

Manchester United posted on its website:

"Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect.The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford, scoring 145 goals in 346 appearances, and wishes him and his family well for the future.Via: manutd.com"

The clips of the interview had attracted criticisms from all quarters of football fans, but the Old Trafford outfit reserved its comments until the complete interview was out. In the interview, Cristiano Ronaldo not only called out the management but also Erik ten Hag (current Manchester United manager), fellow teammates and Wayne Rooney. The Manchester United fans were upset by the dig at Wayne Rooney.

Cristiano Ronaldo statistics in 2021/22

The player returned to Old Trafford after leaving Manchester in 2009. Ronaldo returned to England from Italy in a deal worth €17 million. It was a dream come true for fans to see their hero return to where it all began.

In the 2021/22 season, Ronaldo was the highest goalscorer for Manchester United. He had 24 goals and three assists under his belt in 38 appearances.

Cristiano Ronaldo statistics in 2022/23

The player was dealing with the death of his child at the start of the season and started the season on a dull note. The player didn’t show up for the pre-season under ten Hag, and journalists touted him with a move away from Old Trafford.

Owing to the pre-season absence and lack of fitness, Cristiano Ronaldo did not start the games for Manchester United once he was back with the squad. He made an appearance as a substitute in the first Premier League gameweek against Brighton and Hove Albion. The player started the game against Brentford (GW 2) but had to wait until gameweek 10 to register his first Premier League goal of the season. In the Europa League, the player scored a goal in his first-ever appearance after 19 years/seasons.

Appearances across all competitions: 16

Goals: 3

Assists: 2

(Stats via fbref)

Where will Cristiano Ronaldo move to?

There are very few offers for the Portuguese international in Europe, but a good World Cup can change that for the five-time Champions League winner. Chelsea, Real Madrid and Paris St Germain are interested in acquiring the services of the player and have the financial might to do so. Also, there is considerable interest from the MLS teams as well as teams from the Middle East.

Which would be Cristiano Ronaldo’s new destination? Have your say below!