Soccer
Cristiano Ronaldo Hands in Shocking Transfer Demand to Manchester United
Tim Crean started writing about sports in 2016 and joined Sports7 in 2021. He excels with his versatile coverage of the NFL and soccer landscape, as well as his expertise breaking down sports media, which stems from his many years downloading podcasts before they were even cool and countless hours spent listening to Mike & The Mad Dog and The Dan Patrick Show, among other programs. As a longtime self-professed sports junkie who even played DII lacrosse at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, New York, Tim loves reading about all the latest sports news every day and considers it a dream to write about sports professionally. He's a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan from Western New York who mistakenly thought, back in the early '90s, that his team would be in the Super Bowl every year. He started following European soccer — with a Manchester City focus — in the early 2000s after spending far too much time playing FIFA. When he's not enjoying a round of golf or coaching youth soccer and flag football, Tim likes reading the work of Bill Simmons, Tony Kornheiser, Chuck Klosterman, and Tom Wolfe.
Get to know Tim Crean betterUpdated02 Jul 2022
First Kevin Durant, now Cristiano Ronaldo? For the second time in less than a week, one of the biggest sports superstars in the world let his organization know he wants out this summer. This time, it is Manchester United soccer icon Cristiano Ronaldo who handed in his walking papers.
Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly requested a transfer away from Manchester United
On Saturday, July 2, 2022, European football insider Fabrizio Romano reported shocking news from the red side of Manchester:
Cristiano Ronaldo told Man United he wants to leave this summer as he wants to see more ambition. Man Utd are still hopeful of keeping CR7, but aware of decision. Cristiano has no agreement with any other club. [Agent Jorge] Mendes explored options for weeks and will continue.
Fabrizio Romano on Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United transfer request
The announcement came as a surprise but makes sense given the state of Manchester United in the summer of 2022.
The team has a new manager in Erik ten Hag, who is used to coaching young players at Ajax in the Netherlands. The team is also seemingly starting a youth movement within its ranks. The team's top transfer targets are 25-year-old Frenkie de Jong, 24-year-old Lisandro Martinez, and 22-year-old Tyrell Malacia.
On the flip side, veterans like Juan Mata (34), Paul Pogba (29), Edinson Cavani (35), and Nemanja Matic (33) are all out this summer.
While the 37-year-old Ronaldo sees these moves as a lack of “ambition,” they are the right moves for the once-great club. That also means it is probably in United's best interest to move on from Ronaldo as well.
Where will the superstar end up?
If Cristiano Ronaldo gets his wish, where will the international superstar end up?
It is unlikely that Manchester United would sell Ronaldo to an English Premier League rival. That means that the most likely destinations are Italy, Spain, Germany, or France.
Bayern Munich is an option, although Ronaldo's improvisational style doesn't seem like it would mesh with Bayern's tactics. If he did return to Spain or Italy, it would likely be to his former teams in those countries, Real Madrid or Juventus. Both those teams are looking to add youth these days, too, so Ronaldo doesn't seem to make sense.
The most likely landing spot is Paris Saint-Germain in France. The team has an incredible war chest and loves to bring in international stars. Plus, Manchester Evening News has reported mutual interest between United and PSG's Neymar. A swap deal involving Neymar and Ronaldo could work out well for all involved.
If this happened, the collective heads of the soccer world might explode, though.
A move to Paris would mean that, at least for one season, two of the GOATS of football — Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi — would be on the same team.
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