Cristiano Ronaldo stuck in a dead end

With just under a month until the transfer window closes, Cristiano Ronaldo's chances of leaving Manchester United continue to diminish.

He's made it clear that he wants to leave for a new side after the Red Devils failed to qualify for the Champions League, but so far, they've refused every offer made for the Portuguese star.

So, where do things stand at the present moment? Ronaldo didn't travel with his United teammates for pre-season training in Thailand and Australia. When they returned to Manchester, Ronaldo and his agent Jorge Mendes met with management to discuss his future.

Even Ferguson failed to convince him

Cristiano appeared at Carrington, United's sports facilities, with Mendes on July 26. Sir Alex Ferguson was waiting for him there in hopes of convincing him to reconsider his position and remain with the club.

Instead, Ronaldo reaffirmed his intention to leave the Red Devils. From there, he began to train with the U23 team and didn't travel to Oslo for the match against Atletico Madrid, but did play against Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford.

However, he only played the first half and left the stadium before the end of the match, something that manager Erik ten Hag didn't appreciate.

"It's unacceptable"

The Dutchman hit out at Ronaldo, along with the other plans, that left early.

"I certainly don't condone this. This is unacceptable. For everyone. We are a team and you have to stay until the end," Ten Hag told AD and Viaplay.

Reports out of England suggest Ten Hag has already ruled Ronaldo out of contention for a starting place in Sunday's opener against Brighton.

Jadon Sancho, Anthony Martial or Marcus Rashford could take his place, though the Frenchman may not recover in time after picking up a knock against Atletico Madrid.

The transfer window will remain open until September 1, but will Cristiano leave with the season already underway?

Will he accept being relegated to the bench? Will he give up on his desire to leave United, even though they can't give him Champions League football?

With all these scenarios still undecided, all eyes will be on how this soap opera plays out in the coming weeks.