Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes said he respects all decisions made by teammate Cristiano Ronaldo about whether to go or stay at Old Trafford.
United manager Erik ten Hag dropped Ronaldo from his starting lineup. The Portuguese striker only entered the ground in the 86th minute of the match, when United was leading 2-1. Ronaldo once missed the target, and once fell in the penalty area but did not award a penalty.
While Fernandes said that Ronaldo still practices well with the team and does not let the future affect his work.
According to Fernandes, there are many rumours about Ronaldo’s future at United since he missed the pre-season match.
“Ronaldo can continue to play at the top, but this is his choice. We have to respect what he wants to do.” Fernandes said.
“If Ronaldo stays, we’ll be happy. And if he leaves because it’s for the best, I’m also really happy for him,” Fernandes added.
So far, Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes has been trying to negotiate with Champions League clubs to find a new destination for his client.
The Athletic reported that Mendes is in talks to bring Ronaldo back to Sporting Lisbon The Lisbon club finished second in Portugal last season and qualified for this season’s Champions League.
Sporting raised Ronaldo before he played for The Red Devils for the first time in the summer of 2003. But Sporting was not willing to pay the transfer fee for United in the deal.
Before that, Bayern, Chelsea, Dortmund or Atletico all refused to sign Ronaldo for different reasons. They do not have enough budget to pay the striker with the most goals in history.
Ronaldo’s other goal is to stay in top form until the 2022 World Cup, which begins in November and may be his final big tournament.
