Star striker Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to push for a move away from Old Trafford this January after a departure in the summer failed to materialise.
The 37-year-old missed the first three weeks of pre-season under new boss Erik ten Hag, and has started just once so far in the Premier League this season, leading the line as the Red Devils were trounced 4-0 by Brentford in an astonishing display.
Used off the bench in the top flight since, but started once more in the Europa League, making his debut in the competition as he was once again on the losing side, this time 1-0 against Real Sociedad.
Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial have instead been shown preference by the Dutch boss, which has left Ronaldo often watching on from the sidelines.
And as a result, the Mail report that Ronaldo’s teammates expect him to push for a move once more after the World Cup, with his aim likely to remain playing in the Champions League.
Because of an amendment to the rules in 2019, Ronaldo would be eligible to play in Europe’s top competition despite having already appeared in the Europa League.
Is Saudi Arabia an option?
“We would love to see a player like Cristiano Ronaldo playing in the Saudi league,” Yasser Al-Misehal, president of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation told The Athletic. “It would bring a huge positive feedback and it would be big news for everyone. I’m sure everyone knows the achievements and records of Cristiano Ronaldo, but also as a player who is a great role model.
“I think, ‘Why not?’. I’m sure it would be a very expensive deal, of course, but we can see our clubs getting higher revenues in the past couple of years. We have already seen some big players who used to play in the Premier League come to the Saudi league.
“I like Cristiano Ronaldo as a player and I would like to see him play in Saudi Arabia.”
