Cristiano Ronaldo will fulfil his contract obligations at Manchester United
According to the Spanish news outlet AS (h/t The Sun), Cristiano Ronaldo has decided to stay with Manchester United after this season and will “fulfil” his contract despite an unimpressive campaign. There were concerns among the supporters that he could leave Old Trafford after failing to win any trophies this season.
Ronaldo signed a two-year contract with Man United after joining them from Juventus in the 2021 summer transfer window. He was previously touted to leave them if they fail to qualify for the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League. Supposedly, his camp held crisis talks with CEO Richard Arnold regarding this subject, which was followed by more meetings in January.
However, it appears that Ronaldo will decide to stay with the Red Devils after all for the 2022-23 campaign. His current stance is influenced by the fact that he believes the Red Devils can challenge for the Premier League and Champions League next season. He is optimistic about that, having backed the club to find a new permanent manager who can bring in instant success.
Sigh of relief
Even if the Portuguese international has endured a mixed time since his return to Old Trafford, we cannot overlook the fact that he has been dependable several times this term. He has been solid overall this campaign with 18 goals and three assists to his name from 33 appearances across all competitions.
Questions can be raised against the 37-year-old’s overall play, but he still has been decisive with his goals since moving to Old Trafford. As such, it is good to know that he would be staying with us beyond this summer since his departure would have left a void in the attacking options.
With Edinson Cavani and Jesse Lingard nearing the end of their contracts and Anthony Martial’s future being uncertain, we cannot afford to lose Ronaldo as well. That is without taking into consideration how Marcus Rashford has struggled with his form, whereas Mason Greenwood’s future prospects remain a grey area.
We are hopeful that the board can support the former Real Madrid man’s desires and bring in an appropriate manager to build towards a better future. The likes of Erik ten Hag, Mauricio Pochettino and Thomas Tuchel are on the shortlist, with the former being favourite for the managerial job.
That being said, “instant success” would be a bit of a long shot since our issues are the results of mismanagement over a long time by the board. It would take time to build a dynasty, as was the case with Liverpool and Manchester City, so we are hopeful that the Portuguese superstar would understand the same in the future.