Cristiano Ronaldo’s situation at Manchester United has been a problem right from the start of Dutch manager Erik ten Hag’s time with the Premier League side. The Portuguese forward is determined to move to a club that will play the Champions League, which United’s previous season’s PL position prevents it from doing. 

While there doesn’t seem to be much headway in negotiations, Ronaldo has hinted that he’ll return in the friendly against Rayo Vallecano, Sunday. 

“Domingo o rei joga”, the 37-year-old said on Instagram. In English, it means “Sunday the king plays”. 

He was not included in the team’s squad against Atletico Madrid. The game is in Oslo this Saturday, and Ronaldo’s talks this week didn’t yield any results. The former Ajax coach had expressed an interest in wanting Ronaldo on the team, while many fans had questioned whether the ageing goalscorer was the best fit for ten Hag’s tactics that made him quite outstanding in the Eredivisie.

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Now, with his heart set on major trophies, the Portuguese forward is even okay with a pay cut, to muscle his way out of the United contract. Meanwhile, the Reds have kept insisting that Ronaldo is not for sale. His absence in the pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia had raised more questions about the five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s future at the club. However, he’s back in training now, ahead of the season. 

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Despite Ronaldo’s, and his agent Jorge Mendes’ best efforts to strike a deal with another club, there haven’t been many takers. Chelsea is not considering the forward, while both Bayern and Atletico Madrid have seemingly publicly distanced themselves away from the deal. 

Ronaldo’s insistence on leaving the Old Trafford side echoes his Juventus exit. The Serie A club had been adamant that the striker wasn’t leaving them, but Ronaldo moved to United at that point.