Manchester United have signed three players so far this summer, with Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen, and Lisandro Martinez all arriving during the current window. You can expect to see one or two more names added to that list in the weeks ahead.
We are also likely to see a number of departures. The club are still keen to offload a couple of fringe players, while Cristiano Ronaldo has also made his intentions to move elsewhere clear.
The Portuguese star has yet to report to pre-season training, with the club accepting his reasoning that this has been done for personal reasons. In saying that, he has not hid his desire to move elsewhere this summer in search of Champions League football.
The 37-year old has been offered to a number of top European clubs, although there has been limited interest thus far. Manchester United also said they are not open to selling him, leaving the situation at somewhat of an impasse.
However, it has now been rumoured that the club are considering an alternative solution.
Manchester United willing to loan out Cristiano Ronaldo
The Mirror are reporting that Manchester United are willing to allow Cristiano Ronaldo to leave Old Trafford on loan for the upcoming campaign, on the condition that he extends his contract by a further year until the summer of 2024.
The forward's current deal is set to expire in 2023, although the player apparently has an option to extend that by a further year. The club would then be keen for him to return for the 2023/24 season, by which time they hope they will have returned to the Champions League.
#MUFC boss Erik ten Hag was asked for an update on Cristiano Ronaldo at today's press conference pic.twitter.com/X7vSz3KC05
— Simon Peach (@SimonPeach) July 22, 2022
Of course, the logic of such a move can certainly be debated. In short, it seems like the worst of all possible options.
This scenario would see Ronaldo return to the club as a 38-year old at a time when United are meant to be crafting a new, youthful, energetic side under Erik ten Hag.
The forward looked like an awkward fit for next season in any case, a campaign everybody assumed would be his last at the club. Extending that by another year seems like lunacy.
Ronaldo brings in a weekly salary of over £500,000 per week, with his current club likely being forced to cover a sizeable chunk of that wage during any loan move. They would also have his imminent return hanging over the first team all season.
This could play out in a number of ways, all of which would be bad for Manchester United. If they are poor this season, questions will be asked about why Ronaldo was allowed to leave on a temporary basis.
If they are successful, the imminent return of a near 40-year old striker with a massive ego and equally large pay packet would hardly be ideal for the dynamic within the squad.
The hierarchy's lack of long-term planning has been brought into focus once again this season after the striker's transfer request. There was no alternative plan to a player who is in the twilight of his career.
The fact of the matter is that as a team, Manchester United would be much better off cutting ties with Cristiano Ronaldo this summer. The fact that they seem so desperate to hang onto him is baffling. You get the sense that such a decision is not necessarily coming down to footballing reasons.
Whether they keep him this summer or move him on, extending his contract and then loaning him out is certainly the worst of all possible options.
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