Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Man United by mutual agreement
Following his explosive interview with Piers Morgan in which he criticized United and manager Erik ten Hag, Ronaldo, 37, and his agent have mutually opted to end his contract.
Tuesday, the club released the following statement: “By mutual consent, Cristiano Ronaldo will depart Manchester United immediately.
“The team wishes him and his family the best of luck in the future and expresses gratitude for his enormous contribution throughout his two stints at Old Trafford, where he scored 145 goals in 346 games.
Everyone at Manchester United is still committed to advancing the group’s achievements under Erik ten Hag and collaborating to produce results on the field.
According to those who spoke to ESPN, Ronaldo wanted to go and United had not paid for his departure.
The striker told Morgan that the team had made “zero progress” since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 and that he “doesn’t respect” Ten Hag, prompting United to try to have his contract at Old Trafford terminated before it was supposed to expire in June.
It was “time for a new challenge,” Ronaldo, who returned to United from Juventus in 2021, said in a statement released at the same time. He stated: “We have decided to terminate our contract early after talking with Manchester United.
“I adore Manchester United and the supporters, and that won’t ever change. But now seems like the perfect time for me to look for a fresh challenge.
“I wish the team nothing but success for the rest of the year and beyond,”
Ronaldo is in Qatar getting ready for Portugal’s World Cup opener against Ghana on Thursday.
He won’t have to wait until the January transfer window and may leave Old Trafford and join another team right away.
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United had been eager to find a swift solution, and sources told ESPN that if a mutual termination could not be reached, they were prepared to sue for contract breach.
