Manchester United 'could terminate Ronaldo's contract and prevent him joining another club' in January

Manchester United could terminate Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract and prevent him from joining another club in the January transfer window, according to a football lawyer.

Ronaldo has given an explosive interview with Piers Morgan, in which he is scathing of Man Utd’s hierarchy, admitted he has no respect for manager Erik ten Hag and claims the club are trying to force him out.

Elsewhere, the five-time Balon d’Or winner also claims Man Utd showed a lack of “empathy” for him when his daughter was hospitalised in July and that he had “never heard” of the previous manager Ralf Ragnick.

The TalkTV interview, which airs on Wednesday and Thursday, will likely spell the end of Ronaldo’s second stint at Old Trafford.

The 37-year-old was heavily linked with a move away from Old Trafford before the start of the season, with his agent Jorge Mendes having reportedly held talks with the likes of Napoli, Bayern Munich and Al-Hilal.

Given his desire for Champions League football, wage demands and waning powers it is difficult to know where Ronaldo might end up.

'Could terminate Ronaldo's contract’

According to football lawyer David Seligman, there is a possibility that Ronaldo could be without a club at the end of the January transfer window.

Seligman claimed, in a tweet he has since deleted, that Man Utd could terminate Ronaldo’s contract but prevent him from joining another side.

This would be possible if they feel that their relationship with the player is beyond repair and he has breached the terms of his deal.

As per Express.co.uk, Seligman tweeted: “Man United would likely have ground to terminate Ronaldo’s contract – material breach of the implied duty of trust and confidence, as well as express terms regarding bringing the club into disrepute.

“FIFA rules/jurisprudence on player registrations are not all that simple. United could terminate the contract but retain player registration for the purposes of compensation if termination is caused by Ronaldo's conduct.”

Topics: Football, Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United, Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours, Erik Ten Hag

Chris Byfield

Sport journalist with experience writing on football, rugby, boxing and the Olympics. I'm also a Crystal Palace fan. Please don't hold this against me.