Cristiano Ronaldo will be leaving Manchester United after the World Cup, but where will he go? The Portugal superstar’s second spell at Old Trafford is coming to an end after the club began steps to terminate his contract following his shocking interview with Piers Morgan. United hope it can be resolved “swiftly” to avoid a drawn-out legal battle and if they get their way, Ronaldo will be free to find another club after he returns from Qatar.
The level of interest the 37-year-old can expect depends on who you believe. Sources close to United insist he has been available since the summer but that they only received one approach from a club in Saudi Arabia, which Ronaldo turned down. Ronaldo’s representatives, however, have maintained he has a number of options and that moves fell through during the last transfer window because United were demanding a significant fee.
But once his contract is terminated — United must give 14 days’ written notice — that won’t be an issue and it will be up to Ronaldo to decide what he wants out of the final years of what is already a glittering career.
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Aside from suggesting to Morgan that he would “retire on the spot” if Portugal win this World Cup, Ronaldo says he wants to play until he’s 40, which would take him to the end of the 2024-25 season. Ultimately, the two key issues when he decides on his next move are what he wants to achieve and how much money he wants to earn.
His weekly wage at Old Trafford is £500,000-a-week, plus bonuses, and if he makes the same demands of his next club, there would only be a handful who could even get to the negotiating table. Paris Saint-Germain are one but they already have Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in their squad. Chelsea are another and new owner Todd Boehly met with Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, in the summer but it’s not clear whether head coach Graham Potter would be willing to incorporate Ronaldo in his squad. Chelsea’s brief interest in the summer ended as soon as then-manager Thomas Tuchel ruled out the idea.
Another option is for Ronaldo to sacrifice the possibility of playing in the Champions League and agreeing to a lucrative transfer to the Middle East. The summer’s total package offer from Saudi Arabia would have guaranteed close to £350 million, but the price would be accepting that his career at the top level is over. The same is true of a move to MLS with, potentially, David Beckham’s Inter Miami.
The market for Ronaldo’s services only widens if he’s willing to accept a lower salary. His first club, Sporting CP, would jump at the chance of a romantic return but, speaking in October, coach Ruben Amorim said they “don’t have the money to pay his wages.” Ronaldo, of course, can solve that himself.
Sources have told ESPN that there has also been interest in the past from Italian side Napoli, a club still associated with their fanatical support of another of the game’s greatest players: Diego Maradona. Napoli could offer Champions League football as early as February when they play Eintracht Frankfurt in the round of 16 but, again, Ronaldo would have to compromise with his wage demands.
