Ronaldo's explosive interview with Piers Morgan could cost the Man Utd striker £15m - he might regret it

Cristiano Ronaldo could lose out on £15 million if he leaves Manchester United following his explosive interview, according to reports.

Ronaldo took part in a 90-minute interview with Piers Morgan, which will be broadcast in full on Morgan's 'Piers Uncensored' show on TalkTV on Wednesday and Thursday.

It is fair to say it has gone down as one of the most controversial football interviews in memory, with Ronaldo slating the Glazers, club facilities, the appointment of Ralf Rangnick, and even Wayne Rooney.

But the comments that may cause Ronaldo's Old Trafford exit to be hastily sped up are towards current Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag.

Speaking on the Dutchman, he said (quotes published by The Sun): "I don't have respect for him, because he doesn't show respect for me.

"If you don't have respect for me, I'm never gonna have respect for you."

And according to ESPN, Ten Hag has advised United chiefs that Ronaldo shouldn't play for United again, as per sources.

If the club do decide to let the 37-year-old in January, after the World Cup, they could save a huge amount of money.

How Man Utd could save money on Ronaldo

According to the Daily Express, Ronaldo is on around £500,000-per-week at the club, meaning United could save around £15m if they elected to sell him to another club in January.

Interest in the forward does not seem to be too high in volume, but he has been previously linked with the MLS. Therefore, Ronaldo might join David Beckham's Inter Miami, setting up a future matchup with DC United, managed by none other than Rooney.

However, another option for United could be to release Ronaldo from his contract. In situations like this, the club normally has to pay a compensation fee to the player in order for him to depart on a free transfer.

But top sports lawyer David Seligman took to Twitter on Monday to claim, in a now-deleted tweet - that the Red Devils could terminate the 37-year-old's contract, before expanding on the reasons why.

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He explained: "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/juriisprudence 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 contract."

FIFA rules do state that contracts can be terminated if there is 'just cause' and 'without consequences' involving compensation.

What appears clear is that Ronaldo will not be staying at Man Utd. The question of how exactly his departure happens, and the consequences, remains unanswered for now.