Manchester United, Cristiano Ronaldo Parting Ways, Club Announces

After months of strife between the two sides, Manchester United and Cristiano Ronaldo are officially parting ways, the club announced on Tuesday.

“Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect,” United said in a statement posted to Twitter. “The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford.”

Moments after the club’s announcement, Ronaldo issued his own statement confirming the break.

“Following talks with Manchester United, we’ve mutually agreed to end our contract,” he said, per Fabrizio Romano. “I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never ever change.It feels like the right time to seek a new challenge. I wish Man Utd all the best.”

With the move, United will save around £15.5 million in wages, as the team will not pay out the rest of his deal or additional compensation. The agreement will allow the Portuguese star to sign with another Premier League club if he chooses, however, according to The Times. The team opted against paying Ronaldo to void the deal, as it believed it had a strong argument that he was guilty of a breach of contract after controversial statements made in an unauthorized interview with Piers Morgan, and due to his refusal to come off of the bench in a win over Tottenham Hotspur earlier this month, the British paper reports.

Over the weekend, it was reported that United was exploring potential legal pathways to sever ties with Ronaldo, who was making a reported £500,000 weekly, after his comments ripping the club and manager Erik ten Hag during the recent interview. 

After trying force a move away from the club over the summer, Ronaldo said he felt “betrayed “ by United, and that he did not have respect for ten Hag “because he doesn’t show respect for me.”

“I felt like some people don’t want me here,” he said, “not only this year but last year, too.”

Ronaldo joined United for a second stint with the team in 2021, scoring 19 goals in 40 appearances. He previously played for the team from 2003 to ’09, scoring 94 goals in 196 appearances. 

In October, ESPN reported that United made Ronaldo available for transfer and was not seeking a fee for the 37-year-old, but that no other team has expressed interest in adding the Portuguese legend. 

Ronaldo is currently playing for Portugal at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, starting with a Group H match against Ghana on Thursday.

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