Manchester United are trying to ‘persuade’ Cristiano Ronaldo to stay at the club with the player’s camp having been impressed with new chief executive Richard Arnold.
Ronaldo is understood to be keen on an exit in order to fulfil his ambitions of winning major trophies and competing in the Champions League during the final stages of his career, with the 37-year-old’s agent having touted his services to a number of Europe’s leading clubs.
United have insisted publicly that Ronaldo is not for sale and manager Erik ten Hag reiterated that stance at a press-conference on Monday.
The Times are reporting that United are looking to persuade Ronaldo to remain at Old Trafford, underlining the forward’s importance to the side and ‘accelerating’ efforts to bring in reinforcements after a disappointing sixth-placed finish last season.
Ronaldo’s representatives are understood to have been impressed with Arnold’s handling of the situation with the CEO having been ‘sympathetic to Ronaldo’s discontent’, granting permission for his agent, Jorge Mendes, to hold talks with potential suitors across Europe.
The Portugal captain has not returned to pre-season training due to family reasons, an explanation that the club have accepted, and did not join the rest of the squad who departed for a tour of Thailand and Australia on Friday.
