Manchester United have received an opening bid from a Saudi Arabian club for the services of Cristiano Ronaldo, who could receive an eye-watering salary in the region of £105million per year, according to reports....CONTINUE READING
The Portuguese forward is believed to be keen on leaving Old Trafford in search of a new challenge this summer after growing frustrated over United’s failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
The likes of Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Napoli have all been credited with a desire to land Ronaldo over the last few weeks but are yet to submit offers for his signature as things stand.
An unnamed Saudi club have since emerged as the surprise first bidders with a mega-money proposal that would see Ronaldo pick up in excess of £100m each season, according to CNN Portugal.
It is said that the offer includes a transfer fee of around £30m, which exceeds the figure that United paid to snap him up from Juventus last summer.
Ronaldo would then be poised to receive a total salary of £210m, spread over a two-year contract, with another £20m having been tabled in agent fees.
Ronaldo was granted special permission to delay his pre-season return to United due to family reasons and is yet to inform club chiefs as to when he will come back to Manchester in advance of the new campaign.
He is said to be annoyed over the absence of Champions League football after finishing sixth in the Premier League last season, while their lack of progress in the summer transfer window has also been a source of frustration for the striker.
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United are thought to be keen on keeping hold of Ronaldo, who scored 24 goals in all competitions over the course of last season, until the expiry of his contract if possible.
His sudden exit would leave the Red Devils in need of a suitable replacement and it remains unclear who they would target at this stage, with Paulo Dybala and Robert Lewandowski having recently been mentioned as early alternatives.
Erik ten Hag has already insisted that Ronaldo will not be allowed to leave United as things stand, with the Dutchman still counting on him to lead the line for the club when the new Premier League season gets underway.
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“We are planning for Cristiano Ronaldo for the season and that’s it and I’m looking forward to working with him,” Ten Hag told reporters earlier this week.
“I have read but what I say is Cristiano is not for sale, he is in our plans and we want success together.
I spoke with him before this issue came up, I had a conversation with him and I had a good talk.
“That is between Cristiano and me, what I can confirm is we had a really good conversation together. What I said before, once again, I had a really good talk together.”
