Cristiano Ronaldo has ‘mentally moved on’ from Manchester United, says Piers Morgan

Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Manchester United won Footballer of the year 2008
Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and Manchester United won Footballer of the year 2008 - IMAGO / ZUMA Press

Arsenal fan and Popular TV personality Piers Morgan has stated that he feels it is ‘highly unlikely’ that Cristiano Ronaldo will play for Manchester United again this summer.

The England man who is also a huge Ronaldo fan has revealed that he spoke to the forward this week and has tipped the Portuguese star to move ‘somewhere surprising’ this summer.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner only returned to Old Trafford last year, but after a disappointing campaign for the Red Devils, has asked to leave the club.

According to reports, he asked Manchester United to allow him to leave if they received an appropriate offer this summer. But since making his desire known, the club have come out to say that they are not willing to sell him this summer with new manager Erik ten Hag insisting that he remains in his plans for the coming season.

Despite the stance of his club, Ronaldo has since not joined up with the squad for their pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia. As a result, Morgan believes the 37-year-old has ‘mentally moved on’ from United.

“I have had quite a lot of contact in the last week. I certainly think it’d be highly unlikely if Cristiano Ronaldo plays another game for Manchester United. I just think mentally he’s moved on,” Morgan told talkSPORT.

“If you’re him and coming towards the end of your career and you still want to win major trophies you’ve got to make a calculation. Am I going to do it if I stay at United?

“I think he feels the club structure from the top down isn’t right. It’s not a reflection on the new manager [Erik ten Hag], he’s got a lot of respect for him, but it’s just an accurate reflection of where United are right now.

“It’s for him to say what he feels but if you’re asking me, then I don’t think he’s going to stay at Manchester United.”

With Bayern Munich, Chelsea and PSG all ruling themselves out of signing Ronaldo, it remains to be seen where the Portuguese will end up given that his options are now slim. 

But Morgan thinks Ronaldo could end up somewhere unexpected. The TV presenter also revealed that he is still trying to convince Ronaldo to join Arsenal.

Morgan continued: 

“I think he could end up somewhere quite surprising.

“Arsenal fans listening should know I’m doing everything in my power to try and persuade him to come to Arsenal.  

“And bearing in mind he was close to coming to Arsenal as an 18-year-old, he was about to sign under Arsene Wenger, and at the last minute, he blitzed United in a friendly for Sporting Lisbon and Ferguson didn’t leave that game until he signed him.

‘“ believe he’d be coming home!

“Him up front with Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah would be a fantastic forward line for us, so why not?”