Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is ready to part ways with Cristiano Ronaldo in January if a suitable offer arrives, The Telegraph report.
The 37-year-old was eager to join a Champions League club this summer, but there were no concrete approaches for him. United and Ten Hag were also happy to keep him at the club.
However, the decision has not proved worthwhile thus far. Ronaldo has made just one Premier League start against Brentford where the Red Devils were truly embarrassed (4-0 loss).
He has since been restricted to cameo appearances in the top-flight, and The Telegraph report that Ten Hag is now prepared to sanction the Portuguese’s exit at the turn of the year.
The £18m-rated star still remains hopeful of playing more regularly for Manchester United in the lead-up to the World Cup so that he can invite offers from Champions League sides this winter.
Man Utd should get Ronaldo off their books
Ronaldo had a superb homecoming season last term with 24 goals from 39 appearances, but he has scored just once from the penalty spot from eight matches this campaign.
Ten Hag has opted for Marcus Rashford as his main man up front. In the recent Manchester derby, he was happy to bring on Anthony Martial off the bench over Ronaldo.
Martial made a superb impact on his injury return with two goals and the Frenchman could now jump ahead of Ronaldo in the pecking order for the centre-forward position.
With this in mind, the Red Devils must look to offload the five-time Champions League winner as he is earning a staggering £515,000 weekly while being a regular on the bench.
Man Utd may have to accept a nominal price to sell Ronaldo in January, but the main question remains whether the 37-year-old would be willing to accept a massive pay-cut.
No club in Europe is likely to meet his salary as he is on the decline. There is interest from Saudi Arabia, but Ronaldo may prefer to play Champions League football for a 20th straight season.
