Cristiano Ronaldo considering £233m wage offer as Man Utd star eyes January exit

Posted Wednesday, September 14, 2022 by Dailystar.co.uk

Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo could well be on his way to Saudi Arabia in the January transfer window after falling out of favour at Manchester United

Cristiano Ronaldo considering £233m wage offer as Man Utd star eyes January exit
Cristiano Ronaldo could be on his way to Saudi Arabia in the January transfer window

Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly contemplating a mind-boggling £233million wage offer from Saudi Arabia as the Manchester United forward eyes a January exit from Old Trafford.

Ronaldo, 37, has started just one Premier League match since Erik ten Hag's appointment, the 4-0 mauling at Brentford, after failing to secure a move away in the summer window. Following the Red Devils' sixth-place finish, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner handed in a transfer request with the aim of securing a 20th consecutive term in the Champions League.

Missing the entirety of their pre-season tour due to family reasons, Ronaldo saw potential moves to Atletico Madrid, Napoli, Sporting Lisbon and Chelsea all scuppered and United have excelled in his absence.

Extending their winning run to four top-flight matches with a 3-1 victory over Arsenal, the revamped Red Devils are flying under Ten Hag with his high-pressing philosophy - a system Ronaldo, already in his latter twilight years, is unlikely to feature heavily in.

Snubbing a move to an unnamed club in Saudi Arabia two months ago, Portugal's record goalscorer had hoped to secure a switch to a more high-profile outfit and extend his lead as the Champions League's leading marksman.

However, the group stage of Europe's premier competition, when Ronaldo is most likely to boost his goal tally, will be at an end by the January transfer window.

(Image: REUTERS)

And with Ten Hag insistent on deploying Marcus Rashford as the focal point of United's attack, Ronaldo's chances for game time look bleak at best. The footballing icon is now seriously considering an Old Trafford exit in the January window.

It still remains highly unlikely Ronaldo would be able to snag a move to a club competing in the Champions League. As a result, the 37-year-old is now open to moving to the Middle East.

The £2.24million-a-week contract from the unnamed club remains on the table and, if Ronaldo's situation at Man Utd remains the same, the Portuguese megastar could well be on his way to Saudi Arabia in the January window.