Cristiano Ronaldo transfer saga set for fresh twist as Man Utd sponsors have say

Manchester United's headline sponsors are pressing the club to hold on to Cristiano Ronaldo in the latest twist to the transfer saga of the summer.

It's understood United aren't willing to cave into Ronaldo's demands to leave in order to play Champions League football after some sponsors are believed to have helped in financing his £500,000-a-week wages for a return to Old Trafford.

And they want more than just a season of being able to tap into Ronaldo's huge commercial reach, with the 37-year-old star keen to sever his agreement with United, who will compete in the Europa League next season.

After 19 consecutive years in the Champions League, Ronaldo leads great rival Lionel Messi in goals scored in the competition, with the Argentinian netting 125 to the 140 notched by the United star. Ronaldo, who has over 460million Instagram followers, closely guards his Champions League legacy and wants to finish his career as the competition's greatest-ever scorer. That's unlikely to happen if he stays at United - and it's why he's asked the club to leave if a Champions League club makes an acceptable offer.

That's left Jorges Mendes, Ronaldo's agent, scouring Europe for a suitable club, with Chelsea believed to retain an interest in the Portuguese star. Elsewhere, Paris Saint-Germain are not thought to be in the running having just tied down Kylian Mbappe to a new deal worth a staggering £1million a week with a reported £100million signing-on fee over the course of the France youngster's three-year contract.

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Bayern Munich, meanwhile, would have to change their entire transfer strategy to sign Ronaldo and club bosses claim they don't have the cash for such a short-term deal. Napoli are said to be weighing up a move but Italian football has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic and it's unlikely they could meet Ronaldo's full demands. A return to boyhood club Sporting Lisbon could be a possibility - but only if Ronaldo joined for football not financial reasons.

Privately, United say they are still relaxed about the Ronaldo situation as he is still under contract, but accept they don't want it to turn into a summer circus. That seems inevitable if he's a United player by the time the season starts in four weeks' time. They add, however, that he's still expected to join up with United's summer tour after being given extended time off for personal reasons - with fans in Thailand and Australia desperate to see the icon. However, some senior figures at the club believe a parting may help Erik ten Hag navigate a first season at United more easily without the spectre of Ronaldo casting a shadow over his attempts to revitalise the club.