Where will Cristiano Ronaldo go once he leaves Manchester United | SPORTOCOTE

Where will Cristiano Ronaldo go once he leaves Manchester United | SPORTOCOTE

Cristiano Ronaldo has left Manchester United, effective immediately. Where will he appear next? With his heated pre-World Cup interview, the Portugal star put himself on the market, leading to the termination of his contract on Tuesday.

As a free agent, the 37-year-old attacker now has the opportunity to impress potential suitors and demonstrate his ability to play at the top level for his nation in Qatar. After failing to negotiate a move to a Champions League team in the summer, his future may rely on it.

If he wants to compete in the knockout rounds of European club soccer’s biggest tournament when he returns from the World Cup, his options appear even more restricted halfway through the season.

The Champions League is now down to the last 16 clubs, with just a small number of them capable of matching Ronaldo’s reputed 500,000 pounds (594,000 USD) per week wage at United. And there’s been little indication that they’d be interested in signing him.

Ronaldo’s interview with Piers Morgan, in which he lambasted United manager Erik ten Hag and the club’s owners, demonstrated that he still considers himself to be one of the world’s best soccer players. But where will his professional life lead him next?

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Manchester United announced on Tuesday that Cristiano Ronaldo will depart the club “with immediate effect.”

The 37-year-old forward’s contract was terminated after he gave an angry interview in which he lambasted manager Erik ten Hag and the club’s owners. After failing to gain a move to a Champions League team in the summer, it was unclear where he would finish up next.

“Following discussions with Manchester United, we have mutually agreed to terminate our contract early,” said Ronaldo. “I adore Manchester United and its supporters, and that will never change.” However, it appears that the time has come for me to seek a new challenge.

A CLUB OF CHAMPIONS

If Ronaldo wishes to compete in the competition when it returns in February, he will have only 16 options. Then there’s the matter of who can afford him.

One last fling with a genuinely exclusive club would be a dream situation. However, his greatest chance of doing so would be as a temporary remedy until the conclusion of the season. Karim Benzema of Real Madrid and Sadio Mane of Bayern Munich have both been ruled out of the World Cup due to injuries.

If either of those teams were concerned about being shorthanded in the second part of the season, Ronaldo may be an appealing emergency alternative.

A CLUB IN THE PREMIER LEAGUE

Chelsea contemplated a transfer in the summer, but nothing came of it.

Ronaldo does not appear to fit into new manager Graham Potter’s long-term plans, since the club already has one elderly striker in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Piers Morgan, an Arsenal supporter, is lobbying for Ronaldo to join his club, but the Premier League leader has spent in developing a youthful squad under manager Mikel Arteta, and Ronaldo would be a departure from that.

Could Saudi-backed Newcastle be persuaded to make its first genuinely bold signing under new ownership?

RETURN TO HOME

• Sporting Lisbon would give a romantic bookend for Ronaldo’s career, while the Portuguese club might provide him with a road back to the Champions League next season.
• If he chose this option, he would have to take a significant wage decrease.
• “I wish the squad the best of luck for the rest of the season and in the future.”
• Ronaldo, who is presently in Qatar with Portugal attempting to win his country’s first World Cup championship, recently stated that he desired a move after being relegated to a marginal player of the club this season.
• He got his wish on Tuesday, when United confirmed his exit.
• “Cristiano Ronaldo has agreed to leave Manchester United with immediate effect,” the club announced in a statement. “The club appreciates him for his enormous contribution during two periods at Old Trafford, scoring 145 goals in 346 games, and wishes him and his family the best of luck in the future.”
• United’s displeasure with Ronaldo’s unapproved interview with Piers Morgan was not conveyed in the statement.
• During a 90-minute chat, Portugal’s captain stated he felt “betrayed,” and he was also critical of younger players.

United said last week that it has taken proper action in reaction to his statements, with the termination of his contract widely anticipated.

ARABIAN REPUBLIC

During the summer, the only genuine interest in Ronaldo came from Saudi Arabia. While a transfer there would most certainly be the most financially rewarding choice for him, it would be a significant step down in terms of his remaining sports goal.

It would deprive him the opportunity to extend his record as the Champions League’s all-time greatest scorer, with 140 goals, and give his great rival Lionel Messi, who has 129, the opportunity to overtake him.

MLS
Perhaps it is time for him to transfer his brand to the United States and become the biggest MLS star ever. He couldn’t hope to equal his wage, and he’d have to accept that his days in the Champions League were numbered.

But for a man with over 500 million Instagram followers, this would be an opportunity to go to the world’s largest market – and embark on a new journey.