Cristiano Ronaldo will not be part of the squad Manchester United will take to Thailand and Australia on Friday, as Erik ten Hag continues preparation for his first season in charge.

Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo’s time at Manchester United could come to an end halfway through his contract. (Image: twitter/fabrizioromano)

Ronaldo has been absent from training this week, citing family reasons behind his absence from Carrington. United board members insist they don’t wish to sell the five-time ‘Ballon d’Or‘ winner, despite his obvious desire to depart. Ronaldo is still tied to the club for another season.

Chelsea is considering a bid for the 37-year-old. New co-owner Todd Boehly met Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes in Portugal last week, with the forward reportedly open to the idea of joining a Premier League rival.

Bayern was also informed of Cristiano’s fresh status at United but the German giants went public denying their intention to sign the Portuguese. In Italy, where Ronaldo played for Juventus between 2018 and 2021, Napoli and AS Roma are considering a bid, but at this point, it’s unclear if either of the two can afford the financial effort to sustain such a move.

Barcelona, a fierce rival for Ronaldo in the nine years he spent breaking records in Real Madrid’s shirt, was also offered the chance to go after him. The Blaugrana might be tempted if Lewandowski doesn’t come.

Ronaldo scored 24 goals in all competitions last season, being United’s top goal scorer. After only finishing sixth in the Premier League, United will not play in the Champions League. The club included clauses in players’ contracts allowing a unilateral 25 percent pay cut if qualification to Europe’s main club competition is not sealed. This was one of the reasons to make Ronaldo unhappy, with the other being related to the club’s modest activity on the market since the transfer window opened.

What do the odds predict about Ronaldo’s transfer?

Just days ago, odds were favoring Ronaldo to stay at Old Trafford for the time being. Cristiano was at +140 to continue playing for Manchester United, while a transfer to Chelsea was at +200. Recent events caused a stir in the odds charts. Chelsea sits at -110 to sign Ronaldo, while the player staying in Manchester went to +175. A transfer to Bayern seems unlikely given the club’s public stance against going after him, but the bookmakers still place it at +330. A move to Barcelona is at +600, followed by a potential transfer to AS Roma at +750.