have set a deadline for the next stage of ’s future with the club to be resolved, after he asked for a summer transfer away from the club.
The Portugal forward has been absent from training for over a week after failing to return to the Carrington training ground on 4 July, with United saying he had been given family leave for personal reasons.
But Ronaldo has also asked to be allowed to leave Old Trafford this summer, with reports citing United’s lack of football and the subsequent drop in wages caused by a clause in the 37-year-old’s contract has led to that request.
Rumours of a potential move to Chelsea have been consistent, with the former Real Madrid forward’s future brought up in a meeting between his agent Jorge Mendes and new Blues owner Todd Boehly.
United are away in Asia for the first-leg of their pre-season summer tour, with a match against Liverpool in Bangkok scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at 2pm in the UK. Ronaldo has not flown out to Thailand as part of the squad which will contest that friendly.
Now, the reports that United will rule Ronaldo out of the second-leg of the tour, taking place in Australia, if he has not returned to training by Tuesday at the latest.
Much of the club’s summer planning would have been based around the marketing potential that Ronaldo’s presence in Asia could herald, and his absence is set to compromise the success of the tour.
While Christian Eriksen could join Erik ten Hag’s squad in time for the fixtures against Melbourne Victory in Melbourne and Crystal Palace in Perth, Ronaldo’s prolonged absence seems to make the possibility of a departure
Ronaldo was comfortably United’s top scorer last season but faced strong criticism for his lack of pressing and hard work in attack.
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