Cristiano Ronaldo’s future at Manchester United has been the subject of intense speculation all summer.
According to a report from the Athletic, United fans hoping that the legendary goalscorer stays at Old Trafford may have received some encouragement.
Ronaldo is said to have sapped the positive energy from the dressing room after the encouraging spell out of tour in preseason.
However, in recent days it is believed that his demeanour has been more “promising.”
Rather than eating alone and tossing his arms around, Ronaldo is said to have been “chatting” away with new signings Lisandro Martinez and former Real Madrid teammate Casemiro.
This would suggest that the Portuguese has been encouraged by the club’s transfer dealings in recent weeks.
United have made moves which may have allayed Ronaldo’s previous “anxiety about the club’s transfer dealings,” or lack thereof in the closing stages of the window.
Whether that suggests that the club is now up to his ambitions could be a matter of conjecture – no amount of money spent this summer will allow United to compete in the Champions League this season.
But the prospect of success with an invigorated team under Erik ten Hag may have persuaded the Portugal captain to stay on at Old Trafford.
It certainly doesn’t hurt those chances that there are no apparent suitors for Ronaldo with ambitions of winning Europe’s premier competition.
Napoli are thought to have held an interest all summer, but recent reports suggest that Ronaldo has turned down the Serie A giants.
If Ronaldo truly is set to stay on at Manchester United, it follows that he must now be in acceptance of a slightly reduced role in the team.
He has been benched for United last two matches, both of which ended with wins for Ten Hag’s team.
With a little self-awareness and an understanding of how best he can serve the team, Ronaldo could still be an incredibly valuable player to the manager.
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