In one of the biggest transfer stories of the window so far, Cristiano Ronaldo has asked to be allowed to leave Manchester United should the Premier League club receive a 'satisfactory offer' in the coming weeks.
That's according to a report from The Times, who claim the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's decision is driven by a desire to play in the Champions League for the remainder of his career.
In fact, Ronaldo, 37, believes he has 'three or four years' left at the highest level.
With the experienced forward heading into the last year of his current deal at Manchester United, his future at Old Trafford has been under intense speculation of late.
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Last month, the forward's agent reportedly held discussions over a possible transfer with Chelsea owner Todd Boehly.
According to The Athletic, Boehly met Jorge Mendes in Portugal and the idea of Ronaldo making a surprise move to Stamford Bridge this summer were amongst the topics of conversation during the meeting.
Bayern Munich have also been linked with a move for the 37-year-old this summer. In fact, Ronaldo was offered to the Bundesliga champions by his agent Jorge Mendes.
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That's according to German publication Sport1, who claim after internal discussions, Bayern's CEO Oliver Kahn and sports director Hasan Salihamidzic ‘quickly lowered their thumbs’.
Their reason for doing so was largely financial.
And it seems Ronaldo's agent Mendes has been looking elsewhere, too. Last month, Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Mendes offered his client to Serie A side AS Roma, who are managed by former boss Jose Mourinho.
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But Manchester United teammate Bruno Fernandes expects to see Ronaldo in pre-season training on Monday, despite the ongoing transfer rumours surrounding his future.
"I spoke to him a few weeks ago - we're both on vacation, no one bothers friends on vacation," he told Portuguese outlet Record.
"I hope to meet him on the fourth to train there. I'm not expecting more than that. There is nothing more than that, but each one takes care of their future.
"I don't believe that the club is willing to lose a player of the value of Cristiano."
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United are 'expecting' the former Real Madrid and Juventus forward to stay, but these latest reports may suggest otherwise.
Thoughts on the future of Ronaldo? Do you think he should stay at Old Trafford and play under Erik ten Tag this season?
Let us know in the comments.
Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United, Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours