Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Manchester United immediately "with mutual agreement" after explosive interview saw him criticise the club set-up, the Glazers and Erik ten Hag

Cristiano Ronaldo has left Manchester United, the club have announced.

In a statement, the Red Devils said: "Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect.

"The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford, scoring 145 goals in 346 appearances, and wishes him and his family well for the future.
"Everyone at Manchester United remains focused on continuing the team’s progress under Erik ten Hag and working together to deliver success on the pitch."

Ronaldo said: "I love Manchester United, I love the fans, and that will never change.

"However, it feels like the right time for me to take a new challenge. I wish the team every success."

On what seemed like a fairytale return in the summer of 2021 to the club where he made his name, Ronaldo ended his first campaign back as the team's top scorer with 24 goals in all competitions. 

However, Erik ten Hag's appointment has seen the five-time Ballon d'Or winner consigned to the bench for much of this season, with the 37-year-old leaving Old Trafford during games against Rayo Vallecano and Tottenham.

Ten Hag claimed that Ronaldo refused to come on against Spurs in mid-October, but less than three weeks later, the Dutchman handed the club's highest-paid player at the time - on £500,000 a week - the captain's armband for the 3-1 defeat at Aston Villa. It proved to be his final appearance for United. 

The breaking point for the club - and presumably Ten Hag - came when Ronaldo took part in a wide-ranging interview with Piers Morgan, which was aired in full last week.

Among other things, Ronaldo claimed he didn't respect Ten Hag because Ten Hag didn't respect him, said that the Glazer family don't care about the club and was astonished that the infrastructure at the training ground hadn't been updated since his first spell at Old Trafford, which lasted six years and ended in 2009 when he moved to Real Madrid for a then-world-record fee of £80m.

Ronaldo also told Morgan that if the club wanted to get rid of him in order to progress, he would accept that. They have wasted little time to pounce at that opportunity. 

Reacting to the news, Rio Ferdinand said: "I think both parties will be delighted. [Cristiano] obviously did that interview with the mindset that he wanted to get out of the club, wasn't happy, made it very clear.

"But I also think that Erik ten Hag has got what he wanted as well in this situation. Both parties are happy - move on. [It's the] next chapter for Cristiano Ronaldo.

"It depends what his motivation is. Is it Champions League? Is it money? Is it just to continue playing somewhere with a nice climate? We'll find out I'm sure in due course."

Where could Ronaldo's future lie?

His two-year deal expires in the summer, and it now looks all but certain that he will leave in January. What are his options?

Sporting 3/1 - The romantic option given that it was his first professional club, but unlikely to happen given his wage demands.

Chelsea 4/1 - Hard to see United selling to a rival club despite his lack of playing time, so this seems out of the question.

Any MLS club 6/1 - American clubs have tempted the likes of David Beckham, Andrea Pirlo, Gonzalo Higuain and Gareth Bale in their 30s, and former United icon Beckham's Inter Miami side, coached by Phil Neville, would be one of several clubs able to afford Ronaldo. Whether the 37-year-old is keen on the drop down in quality remains to be seen however.

Paris Saint-Germain 12/1 - Although they have the money and the ambition to tempt Ronaldo, their all-star front three of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi will be hard to dislodge and Ronaldo doesn't seem like he would be content on warming the bench. Although it would be something to see him line up alongside long-time rival Messi...

Napoli 12/1 - An intriguing proposition given the irresistible football they are playing both in Serie A and in the Champions League, but Luciano Spalletti seems to be building a young side notably lacking in big names, so seemingly an unsuitable fit for Ronaldo.

Roma 16/1 - A reunion with old Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho would be a scriptwriter's dream, but affordability is a key consideration and like Napoli, Roma are building an attack around younger names.

Manchester City 16/1 - Impossible to see where he'd fit in at City and the circus surrounding him at United will have surely put off their rivals who, unlike 12 months ago, now have a recognised striker in Erling Haaland.

Atletico Madrid 25/1 - Atletico fans have been vocal about their opposition to signing Ronaldo. In any case, he has faced them too often in important fixtures with Real Madrid for the move to seem likely.

Newcastle 25/1 - Despite their vast riches, Newcastle appear reluctant to break the bank and have opted for players who can add value without being massive stars.

Arsenal 25/1 - Mikel Arteta is very much building a young team for the future, so again, it's hard to see this being a natural fit. Plus, Arsenal's wage structure wouldn't accommodate Ronaldo.

Real Madrid 50/1 - Real tend to only hand out one-year contract extensions to players over 30, something that applies even to mainstay Luka Modric, the oldest player in the squad but still seven months younger than Ronaldo.

The instability of this contract position, coupled with the age profile of the squad, would appear to rule out the prospect of a Bernabeu return for Ronaldo, with club president Florentino Perez pouring scorn on the idea of signing him in the summer.

(All odds correct at the time of writing)

Where could Ronaldo's future lie?

Now that he's left Old Trafford, what are his options?

Chelsea 2/1 - Chelsea are reportedly not interested in signing Ronaldo as he is incompatible with Graham Potter's style of play, so despite these short odds, this move seems extremely unlikely. 

Sporting 11/4 - The romantic option given that it was his first professional club, but unlikely to happen given his wage demands.

Any MLS club 6/1 - American clubs have tempted the likes of David Beckham, Andrea Pirlo, Gonzalo Higuain and Gareth Bale in their 30s, and former United icon Beckham's Inter Miami side, coached by Phil Neville, would be one of several clubs able to afford Ronaldo. Whether the 37-year-old is keen on the drop down in quality remains to be seen however.

Bayern Munich 8/1 - Julian Nagelsmann may be attracted by the prospect of bolstering his attacking options, with Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, although playing very well, the club's only fit No 9 recently in the absence of Thomas Muller, who has just recovered from a hip problem. However, Ronaldo's eye-watering wages could prove prohibitive. 

Paris Saint-Germain 12/1 - Although they have the money and the ambition to tempt Ronaldo, their all-star front three of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi will be hard to dislodge and Ronaldo doesn't seem like he would be content on warming the bench. Although it would be something to see him line up alongside long-time rival Messi...

Napoli 14/1 - An intriguing proposition given the irresistible football they are playing both in Serie A and in the Champions League, but Luciano Spalletti seems to be building a young side notably lacking in big names, so seemingly an unsuitable fit for Ronaldo.

Roma 14/1 - A reunion with old Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho would be a scriptwriter's dream, but affordability is a key consideration and like Napoli, Roma are building an attack around younger names.

Newcastle 25/1 - Despite their vast riches, Newcastle appear reluctant to break the bank and have opted for players who can add value without being massive stars.

Manchester City 50/1 - Impossible to see where he'd fit in at City and the circus surrounding him at United will have surely put off their rivals who, unlike 12 months ago, now have a recognised striker in Erling Haaland.

(All odds via Coral correct at the time of writing)