Cristiano Ronaldo hands in Man United transfer request

Cristiano Ronaldo wants to move from Manchester United after just one year, with several sources reporting that the Portuguese superstar had handed in a transfer request. Having returned to England for a second stint at Old Trafford, the 37-year-old does not want to be part of a team that couldn’t qualify for the Champions League. Despite his age, he is still regarded as one of the best goalscorers in the world and he could walk into just about any team’s starting 11.

Since leaving Real Madrid in 2018, Ronaldo has found sustained success hard to come by. He joined Juventus in 2018 and was dominant in the league over his three years in Italy, but did not match the Champions League success he had at Real Madrid. That prompted a move to Manchester United last summer, and while he personally had a great year, the team was a letdown and only managed to finish fifth in the Premier League.

That was not good enough to qualify for the Champions League, and a player of Ronaldo’s caliber does not want to spend his older years mired in mediocrity. For United last season, Ronaldo was able to bag 24 goals in 38 games across all competitions and there were many games where he looked like the only United player capable of scoring. On many occasions, there was some Ronaldo magic in the closing stages of the game that saved United points.

While United will be hesitant to let Ronald go, there may not be a lot they can do. Although the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is under contract, he has the tools and power to force his way out of that situation. He has yet to train with the team during the preseason and will not be part of United’s upcoming tour of Southeast Asia and Australia.

Right now, Chelsea are favorites to land Ronaldo with odds of -137 at Bovada. The Blues have struggled to find a consistent goalscoring forward in recent years, and the departure of Romelu Lukaku frees up a lot of their wage budget. Also, Chelsea have a new American owner who would love to make a splash.

The next biggest favorites to have Ronaldo on their books next season are actually Manchester United at +162. While this story could all be noise, it does feel like Ronaldo is going to force his way out, so these odds are way too short considering the buzz around his unhappiness.

Further back in the market, Real Madrid are +2000 to secure Ronaldo’s services. Considering Ronaldo went back to United, there is a sense that he is a little prone to nostalgia and may have the same thoughts about returning to Spain. Ronaldo left them peacefully and, by all accounts, he would be welcomed back to Real Madrid with open arms. It’s a longshot, but we’ve seen this before and the odds are good.

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