As revealed by the Athletic, Cristiano Ronaldo has finally returned to Manchester United after a prolonged summer absence, with the Portuguese icon arriving in England with his agent in order to discuss his future with the Red Devils.
It is no secret that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner wants out of Old Trafford. After witnessing his side finish the season in sixth and missing out on UEFA Champions League qualification, the 37-year-old informed the English giants that he wishes to find a new club this summer in order to compete for Europe's biggest trophies during his final years at the top.
While it remains to be seen what decision Erik ten Hag and the Manchester United board will make regarding Ronaldo, an interesting report has emerged courtesy of the Sun claiming that the 20-time English champions are open to letting him leave on a loan.
However, there is one huge condition that he must accept before Manchester United can sanction his loan. The Theatre of Dreams higher-ups want him to extend his current deal, which expires in a year, by an additional 12 months, meaning he will employed by Manchester United until he is 39.
Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Chelsea have so far turned down the chance of signing the all-time top scorer in men's international football. Atletico Madrid have also been linked recently, and with the club's finances preventing them from signing Cristiano altogether, a loan deal might just be what Simeone's side needs.
Nonetheless, it remains to be seen whether this rumor is true. Manchester United's priority is to keep the player as Ten Hag needs a reliable goalscorer for his debut season. However, Ronaldo has never played in the UEFA Europa League in his career and will not want to make his debut in this competition at the age of 37, meaning this transfer saga could drag on for a little while.
