Erik ten Hag drops hint of Ronaldo transfer U-turn as exit route emerges

Erik ten Hag has suggested Cristiano Ronaldo may have U-turned on his plan to leave Manchester United this transfer window.

Ronaldo rocked the club earlier in the summer when he informed United that he wanted to leave for a side competing in the Champions League this season. The forward then missed the Red Devils' pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia due to personal reasons, before returning to the Red Devils' Carrington base two weeks ago.

Ronaldo, joined by his agent Jorgen Mendes, held crunch talks with United boss Ten Hag to come to an agreement over the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's future.

Ronaldo was said to have left the meeting still determined to secure a transfer away from United, while Ten Hag and co. were determined to keep him.

But now, according to Ten Hag's assessment of his United squad ahead of their season opener with Brighton, Ronaldo is in a good place and he's happy with the state of affairs.

"I'm satisfied with the whole team," said Ten Hag. "It is working good and Cristiano is working good. We have a top striker and I am really happy."

Ten Hag's comments come after Ronaldo posted an image of himself smiling with the caption "mood" to Instagram, suggesting he, like his boss, is also in a happy place.

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Ronaldo struggled to attract serious attention from a Champions League club willing to take him off Man United's hands.

Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid are two such sides that publicly ruled themselves out of signing the forward.

The 37-year-old was recently handed an unconventional Man United exit route via Corinthians president Duilio Monteiro Alves, who confessed that's keen on Ronaldo.

Alves told Ulissescast: "It's true, I dream big. This is Corinthians! Aren't Willian and Renato Augusto here? In football everything is possible and I have the obligation to give my best for Corinthians.

"Is it possible? I don't know. We didn't try, we didn't investigate, there was no such possibility, but we are keeping an eye on him. Imagine that he suddenly wants to play in Brazil..."