How a massive pay cut pushed Ronaldo to leave Man Utd
Karan Tejwani
- 5 Jul 2022 15:08 BST
- 3 min read
Cristiano Ronaldo has made his desire to leave Manchester United clear, with the Portuguese looking to join a club where he can compete for trophies and play in the Champions League in the final years of his career.
The 37-year-old missed the first two days of pre-season training with the club as well, citing personal reasons, and it’s uncertain he’ll take part in the club’s tour of the Far East and Australia this month.
Ronaldo is apparently disappointed over the club’s lack of intent in the transfer window, despite the signing of Tyrell Malacia and planned arrivals of Christian Eriksen, Frenkie de Jong and Christian Eriksen.
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Other than that, there is another factor concerning Ronaldo this season: the pay-cut players have had to take due to the team’s failure to qualify for the Champions League.
Champions League failure costs players
The team’s failure to qualify for Europe’s premier cup competition triggers a 25 percent reduction on players’ salaries, which has reportedly upset the Portuguese.
When Ronaldo returned to Manchester United last year, he accepted a £480,000-a-week contract, but that will now fall to £360,000-a-week for the upcoming season as they prepare for Europa League football.
There’s a belief within the club that Ronaldo will still be at the club next season despite his wish to leave, due to the lack of serious interested buyers for the player.
In addition to the high wage, there are concerns amongst teams over his compatibility in teams and modern pressing systems, despite the obvious goals he brings.
BREAKING NEWS 🚨: Manchester United are unsure whether Cristiano Ronaldo will fly out with the team on Friday for their pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia pic.twitter.com/NI8COVtmF7
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) July 5, 2022
Clubs such as Chelsea and Bayern Munich are interested in the Portuguese, but a signing may be difficult to complete due the complications facing them.
If Ronaldo doesn’t leave Old Trafford, he will be playing Europa League football next season for the first time since 2002, when he was a teenager at his first club, Sporting.
He still has one more year on his contract, having signed on a two-year deal last season, and United have the option to extend for a further season if they wish to.
