Cristiano Ronaldo has announced via Instagram that he would make his return for Manchester United in their last pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford on Sunday, July 31, 2022.
Cristiano Ronaldo announces he’s back with Manchester United team as he’s gonna play friendly game vs Rayo Vallecano: “Sunday, the king plays”, he just commented. 🚨🇵🇹 #MUFC
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 29, 2022
Here’s his message on Instagram: pic.twitter.com/HrPzk0Rzur
Ronaldo returned to Carrington this past week to train with his Red Devils teammates but, it still appears that he is seeking Champions League football for the 2022-23 season, something he will not get at United.
With seemingly never-ending speculation regarding the wantaway Portuguese’s Man United future, Ronaldo took to his hugely followed Instagram account on Friday night to post: “Sunday, the king plays.”
Ronaldo is yet to play a game under the tutelage of Erik ten Hag after missing the team’s pre-season tour due to family reasons. He was also left behind in Manchester on Friday after a quick trip to the Norwegian capital Oslo for a game against potential suitors, Atletico Madrid on Saturday.
According to United’s official website: “Some of those absent from the squad will take part in Sunday’s game against Rayo Vallecano, while others are ill or injured. “The squads for the matches have been designed to ensure that available players get adequate game-time across the two fixtures.
Will this be the last game of Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford?
Cristiano Ronaldo might exit Manchester United this summer, as his stance to leave the club remains unmoved despite talks with Erik ten Hag and other stakeholders at United this week. Reports claimed that Sir Alex Ferguson, the legendary coach who brought Ronaldo to the limelight at Old Trafford was part of the people who tried to convince Ronaldo to remain at Old Trafford.
The former Real Madrid and Juventus forward still wants to play in the Champions League, an opportunity that United can’t give him in the coming 2022/2023 season. Hence, the end of this impasse is nowhere in sight.
Since he announced his desire to leave Old Trafford, Ronaldo has had links to Saudi Arabia, Atletico Madrid, and his boyhood club, Sporting Lisbon but nothing concrete yet.
Recall that Cristiano Ronaldo broke into the Sporting starting eleven and then joined United in 2003. He left Sporting without making a Champions League group stage appearance in his hometown; hence, he might decide to return to the club this summer to rewrite that part of his history especially now that Sporting are in the Champions League and United are not.
The biggest bottleneck for this transfer to materialize is the staggering amount of wages the 37-year-old command, which the Portuguese club cannot afford. The best bet will be to broker a loan deal with United, which is another avenue that doesn’t appear feasible.
Whatever happens, this will be an intriguing transfer saga until it’s over. The beauty of the transfer window never ends.
