Manchester United have left the door open to impose a harsh punishment on Cristiano Ronaldo after he spoke out against the club and manager Erik ten Hag.
The move pushed Ronaldo closer to the exit door and it is highly unlikely that he will ever play for Ten Hag again. He was already becoming an increasingly peripheral figure at the club, having started just four of Manchester United’s 14 games after pushing hard for a move to a Champions League club in the summer.
It’s understood the club are deeply disappointed at both the timing and content of Cristiano Ronaldo’s interview with Piers Morgan, which was laced with bombshell revelations including his accusation that people in the club have “betrayed” him and his assertion that he has no “respect” for Ten Hag.
The club’s power brokers, CEO Richard Arnold, football director John Murtough, Ten Hag and Joel Glazer convened for talks on Monday morning to consider the best response and opted for diplomacy.
The club released a statement at 2pm in which they pledged to “consider its response after the full facts have been established”. That is likely to mean they levy some sort of punishment when the full interview is broadcast on TalkTV on Wednesday.
Initial revelations were published on Sunday and there was dismay at Old Trafford that they had overshadowed a statement win over Fulham. Pointedly, the statement ended: “Our focus remains on preparing for the second half of the season and continuing the momentum, belief and togetherness being built among the players, manager, staff and fans”.
A departure in January now looks increasingly likely and one of the interpretations of the interview is that it was intended to push the club into releasing him from his contract.
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As i revealed last month, the club have investigated how that could play out but it would be an expensive move unless it was a mutual termination.
There is certainly a feeling within the camp that the club are moving past the Ronaldo era, even if the forward retains respect in the dressing room for his achievements. But the fact is Ten Hag is being backed by Manchester United’s hierarchy to lead them into a new era, having been supported in the summer with transfer funds.
Ten Hag is transitioning the team into a high intensity, pressing side in the mould of his successful Ajax team and after a rocky start, results have been positive of late. The club sit fifth in the Premier League and are just three points behind Tottenham in fourth with a game in hand.
The integration of winger Alejandro Garnacho into the side, and the revival of Marcus Rashford’s fortunes, are big ticks against his name.
It’s also understood that Manchester United are ready to continue the reshaping of his forward line.
Although January moves are thought to be unlikely, further investment is planned in the summer. They have been scouting for forwards in recent weeks and are understood to have a big interest in Napoli forward Victor Osimhen.
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