Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly set to lose out on around £16m following his exit from Manchester United.
The Red Devils released a short statement on Tuesday night announcing that the 37-year-old has left the club by mutual agreement with immediate effect in the wake of his explosive interview with Piers Morgan last week.
Shortly after United's 2-1 Premier League win away at Fulham in their final game before the World Cup, scathing quotes from Ronaldo's interview emerged, with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner heavily criticising the club, manager Erik ten Hag, several board members and former players.
Ronaldo claims that he has no respect for Ten Hag, after falling down the pecking order under the Dutchman, while he believes the Red Devils have not progressed since leaving Old Trafford for Real Madrid back in 2009.
There were reports suggesting that United could sack Ronaldo and sue the forward following his comments, but the club have instead reached an agreement with the Portugal star to part ways.
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Ronaldo re-signed for Man United in the summer of 2021 from Juventus, penning a two-year contract worth around £500,000 per week.
It is understood that Ronaldo earned around £32m in total during his second spell at Old Trafford, but the Daily Mail claims that the forward will lose out on £16m after he mutually agreed to leave the club.
The report adds that United have not paid Ronaldo any compensation upon his release for the remaining seven months on his contract, which sees the Red Devils saving a significant sum that they can now invest into the club.
Ronaldo scored a total of 145 goals in 346 appearances for Man United across all competitions, winning 10 trophies including three Premier League titles and one Champions League.
The Madeira-born forward netted 27 times in 55 games during his second stint at the club, with each goal scored costing the Red Devils around £1.2m.
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Ronaldo, who now vacates the iconic No.7 shirt at Old Trafford, has become a free agent and is free to negotiate terms with any club that he chooses over a transfer.
It remains to been seen, however, whether specific clubs Ronaldo that would like to join are indeed interested in his services.
Newcastle United and Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr have both recently been linked with a potential swoop for Ronaldo, although the former allegedly have no interest in the forward.
Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are also understood to have dismissed the chance to recruit Ronaldo, while a possible move to Chelsea or a return to former club Sporting Lisbon has been mooted.
Ronaldo is currently away on international duty with Portugal for the 2022 World Cup and will be hoping to start in their opening fixture against Ghana on Thursday.
Oliver Thomas
