The Portugal icon, 37, returned to Manchester United last summer and was duly greeted with a hero’s welcome. Ronaldo did what he does best, scoring 24 goals in his first season back in England since 2009. However, there were doubts over Ronaldo’s fitness at a club whose players have been criticized for not giving their maximum effort. Indeed, a team like United cannot afford passengers on the defensive side of the game and given his advanced years, Ronaldo does not contribute when he is out of possession. United also played strongly under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick. Erik ten Hag has been appointed to lead the rebuild, although back-to-back defeats to Brighton and Brentford suggest little has changed despite a promising pre-season. One lingering issue the club has yet to resolve is Ronaldo’s future. The striker wants to pursue his Champions League ambitions elsewhere, although there is no specific interest. Recent reports mention two more failed attempts to plan a takedown by agent Jorge Mendes. Ronaldo has consistently disappointed since his return to United and questions have been raised about his professionalism. He was filmed knocking a mobile phone out of a 14-year-old’s hand in April. He regularly walked straight down the tunnel rather than applauding United fans after defeats and was among a host of stars to leave the club’s pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano before the final whistle.
Manchester United want to adjust Ronaldo’s attitude
Now, a stunning claim from Sky Sports News has revealed that United may consider terminating the player’s contract if his poor attitude does not change. Presenter Claire Tomlinson said: “Sky Sports News understands that Manchester United want to see a change in Ronaldo’s attitude or may consider terminating his contract. “Ronaldo has been frustrated on the pitch and it is known that he would like to leave Old Trafford to play in the Champions League. “Ronaldo still has a year left on his deal with an option for another 12 months but his condition is believed to be coming to an end.” Sky’s original tweet containing a video of Tomlinson explaining the situation was later deleted. Manchester Evening News reporter Samuel Luckhurst then tweeted that Manchester United insist the claim that Ronaldo’s contract could be terminated is false.
