Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo returned to training on Tuesday for the first time since declaring his desire to leave Old Trafford.
Last month, the Portuguese shocked United by essentially asking the club to let him leave if a satisfactory offer came in for him.
The decision came after United had a miserable season in 21/22 that saw them finish sixth in the Premier League, meaning they will play in the Europa League.
As a result of their failure to secure a place in Europe’s premier competition, Ronaldo has made it clear that he sees his future away from Old Trafford. The 37-year-old wants to challenge for major trophies, something he feels United are unable to do at the moment.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner missed the club’s pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia due to family reasons, but has now returned to England this week.
According to Spanish newspaper AS, Ronaldo received a warm welcome from his teammates upon his return to the Carrington club’s training ground.
Ronaldo was spotted arriving on Tuesday morning alongside his agent Jorge Mendes, the pair apparently holding talks with coach Erik ten Hag. The meeting was to discuss the new strategist’s project at the club and his mission to bring back the glory days at Old Trafford.
The Portuguese then spoke to his Brazilian and Portuguese team-mates and was reported to have ended the conversation by telling his friends: “Okay, that’s it, that’s enough. It’s time to train. Let’s go.”
After training, Ronaldo sat down with his teammates to eat and the atmosphere was described as ‘good’, which is good news for United fans.
It is clear that despite his desire to seek a move away, Ronaldo will always be a professional on the training ground.
However, his wish may soon be dashed as his options are slowly dwindling. Many big clubs across the continent have distanced themselves from the race to sign Ronaldo.
The likes of Chelsea, Napoli, Juventus, Atletico Madrid and Bayern Munich have all ruled out a move for the Portuguese.
All eyes will now be on Ronaldo’s every move as his future remains uncertain with the new season fast approaching.