UEFA Europa League football for Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo will be an odd sight
Cristiano Ronaldo has become a Champions League hero, having won the competition five times.
He last won the competition back in 2018 with Real Madrid before heading to Juventus hoping to continue with his European success at the Allianz Stadium.
Ronaldo failed to bring the European title to Turin during his three years at Juve.
Despite an impressive showing from the Portuguese star in the competition last season with United, the club faltered in the Round of 16.
A 2-1 aggregate defeat to Atletico Madrid would knock them out of the tournament despite Ronaldo’s record of six goals in six games.
TalkSPORT journalist Alex Crook believes Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo needs to accept that he will be playing UEFA Europa League football next season.
Ronaldo, 37, wants out of Manchester United and to join a top contending Champions League side.
United finished sixth last season meaning they will be playing Europa league football come next season.
Atletico Madrid are the latest club to rule themselves out of the race to sign Ronaldo and it appears that the race might be over before it’s even got started.
The veteran striker has held talks with Manchester United over his future.
However, the meeting between himself, agent Jorge Mendes and club officials reached an impasse (as per the Telegraph).
Journalist and Manchester United fan Crook believes time is running out for the Portuguese star to secure an Old Trafford exit.
He suggests it’s time Ronaldo accepted that he will be playing Europa League football next season: saying:
“He can say as many times as he likes that he wants to leave the football club, but he needs to find someone willing to take him on. At the moment, the super clubs, the Champions League clubs that he yearns to play for aren’t forthcoming.”
Aside from Atletico, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have decided against pursuing Ronaldo, Crook continued:
“Again overnight, Oliver Kahn at Bayern Munich has said he doesn’t fit the play they want to play. Paris Saint-Germain are not following up the owners’ interests.”
Chelsea have also been touted with a move for the Portuguese star but Blues boss Thomas Tuchel appears not to be keen on the move.
Crook touched on this by adding that the Stamford Bridge side need a striker:
“So, the question for Ronaldo – with Thomas Tuchel also not interested in taking him to [Chelsea], even though they don’t have an out and out striker on their books – who is going to sign Cristiano Ronaldo? The answer at the moment is nobody.”
Crook concluded:
“He needs to get his head around it pretty quickly, that he’s going to have to find a way to settle for the fact that he will be playing Europa League.”