Manchester United could possibly terminate the contract of Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Sky Sports journalist Dharmesh Sheth.
The 37-year-old has brought his future at Old Trafford into doubt, following a controversial interview with Piers Morgan, in which he criticised many current aspects of his current club.
What’s the latest news on Ronaldo?
According to the BBC, Manchester United are exploring multiple options as they look to find a way to end Ronaldo’s time at Old Trafford.
The same source suggests that the club would like to find a way to release the 191-time Portugal international without paying him off, following the way he has spoken about the club in such a public and indiscrete manner, with the forward not holding back on his criticism of current manager Erik ten Hag.
The former Juventus star moved from Turin to rejoin the Red Devils in the summer of 2021, in a two-year deal until the summer of 2023.
But Sheth believes that it’s unlikely that Ronaldo will see out the remaining seven months of his deal at Old Trafford, with the situation seeming “untenable” with the forward.
What has Sheth said about Ronaldo?
He told GIVEMESPORT: “I mean, the Ronaldo thing seems untenable now.
“I mean, yeah, funnier things have happened. Not many more funnier things, but you can't imagine a scenario where he'd reintegrate and come back into the team. I think it's run its course now.
“I think that Ronaldo has made it clear with that interview that he wants out and I think United will want the same.
“Will it just become a contract termination? That looks like it's the direction that it will go.
“And United ideally will not be paying him off any remainder of his contract, it will just be a straight contract termination.”
What does the future hold for Ronaldo?
As Sheth has said, it seems impossible to foresee a situation in which Ronaldo plays for Manchester United again, and termination of his contract seems highly likely before the Premier League season resumes on 26th December.
According to reports, Chelsea could make a move for the men’s all-time leading international goalscorer, should the Glazers make the decision to relieve the forward of his duties, whilst a move to the MLS has also been touted as a potential possibility.
Despite stating in his interview with Morgan that he would like to carry on playing until he is 40, Ronaldo will hope that his decision to participate in this interview has not ended his chances of securing one more move to a top club in Europe, ahead of his potential retirement in the next few years.