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Report: Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave Manchester United before gameweek 1

Manchester United not keen to swap Cristiano Ronaldo for Griezmann.
Cristiano Ronaldo in action for Manchester United. (Photo by Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images)

Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave Manchester United before the opening game of the season against Brighton & Hove Albion

Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave Manchester United before the opening game of the season on 7 August, according to AS (h/t Express).

The Red Devils host Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday in the first game of the campaign at Old Trafford. And the Portuguese has his heart set on leaving United before Erik ten Hag takes charge in his first Premier League game as a manager.

However, Ronaldo has found it challenging to leave since the Manchester-based club are adamant about not selling him this summer. But Atletico Madrid and Napoli are seemingly two sides still interested in him.

Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave Manchester United before the Brighton game.
Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave Manchester United before the Brighton game. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Ten Hag has had a challenging opening few months at United so far. The prospect of losing last season’s top goalscorer looms large. The Red Devils should have figured things out before the start of the season to give the new manager time to settle in.

But it looks like we’re going into next season uncertain of whether Ronaldo stays or not. If he does leave, it’ll be a difficult task to find an appropriate replacement.

Ten Hag has for now rejuvenated the forwards who had a poor showing in the previous campaign. The Dutch manager has been able to bring out the best of them during the pre-season.

Manchester United need to make a decision on Cristiano Ronaldo's future.
Manchester United need to make a decision on Cristiano Ronaldo’s future. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho were all disappointing last season. Fans were left frustrated, especially with the latter two, due to our attacking woes.

Ronaldo was the only one that stepped up. The 37-year-old’s homecoming delivered precisely what people hoped for, goals. But the supporting cast let everyone down.

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Now, United are in a dilemma. If we part ways with the Portuguese, new signings are necessary. But if Ronaldo ends up staying, the Red Devils need to make sure it’s not against his will.

Written by Aheed Abrar

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