Cristiano Ronaldo NOT for sale with Man Utd unwilling to budge as wantaway star breaks silence after Carrington meeting
MANCHESTER UNITED will not budge on their stance that Cristiano Ronaldo is not for sale after he returned to Carrington on Tuesday.
SunSport revealed that the Portugal superstar is determined to quit Old Trafford after their failure to qualify for the Champions League.
But he has found his employers are doubling down on the view that they will not sell him this summer.
Ronaldo was given compassionate leave by United for the first three weeks of pre-season training due to a family issue back in his homeland.
However, he was back at their training HQ on Tuesday morning — his private jet landing at Manchester Airport — before he drove in with his agent Jorge Mendes just after 10am.
The 37-year-old sat in on the tour debrief with new boss Erik ten Hag as the squad looked back on the 17-day trip to Thailand and Australia.
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Ronaldo played no part in that tour — but plans to be as professional as ever despite his wish to quit.
His former manager Sir Alex Ferguson was also at the training ground yesterday, along with former chief executive David Gill and current Old Trafford supremo Richard Arnold.
United claimed this was to attend a lunch which had been scheduled for some time and the timing had nothing to do with Ronaldo.
However, it is believed the superstar had a chat with Fergie, and also former United and England skipper Bryan Robson in the Carrington canteen.
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Ferguson’s close relationship with Ronaldo is well known but his presence was not said to be part of any charm offensive.
Mendes was hoping to have a meeting with Arnold to reaffirm Ronaldo’s wish to leave — but United sources indicated last night there has been no change in the club’s view.
Despite reported interest from Spanish LaLiga giants Atletico Madrid, there have so far been no firm offers from a Champions League club for CR7.
Last night he tweeted a picture of himself in a sauna wearing only underwear with the message: “Genetics loads the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.”
United are due to play a behind-closed-doors match against Wrexham on Wednesday but Ronaldo is unlikely to feature, despite keeping himself in good shape in Portugal in recent weeks.
Ten Hag’s new side will play two friendlies over the weekend but the United manager has already indicated the start of their season a week on Sunday may come too soon for the striker with all the training he has missed.
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Forward Anthony Martial — who spent the final few months of last season on loan at Spanish side Sevilla — has staked a claim for a start with his form in pre-season.
Two of United’s new-boys — free signing Christian Eriksen and £48.5million defender Lisandro Martinez — arrived at training together as they are believed to be staying at the same hotel.