Jamie Carragher has ripped into Cristiano Ronaldo, telling the striker that no team in Europe wants him, and not even his Manchester United teammates do.
Ronaldo's potential move away from Old Trafford, less than a year after his supposedly heroic return, has been raging on for weeks now.
The 37-year-old is desperate to leave United in order to get Champions League football this season, after failing to help the team qualify for it last season.
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Such is the five time Ballon d'Or winner's desire to leave that he actually got out of the ground at half time in last weekend's friendly draw with Rayo Vallecano, his first pre season outing of the summer, which Erik ten Hag wasn't pleased with.
The one problem for Ronaldo is that any club who's been linked with him has quickly ruled out making a move or has completely failed to put a bid in, and now Carragher has bluntly told the forward no one wants him.
"I always thought he [Ronaldo] was a bizarre signing," Carragher said on the Overlap, in partnership with Sky Bet, "I always felt this situation would come, even if Ronaldo did great for you [Manchester United].
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"He signed a two-year deal plus another year, which I couldn't believe, and he's never going to play second fiddle to anyone but as players at a certain stage in your career we all know that you're not the same player, and his career has gone on longer because he's such a great professional.
"But the fact he's now 37, 38 this season, he's not the same player. He's still a great goalscorer but he's not the same player. No other club in Europe at this moment wants him, I might be wrong.
"But it doesn't look like United can get him out, so at the moment other clubs don't want him. And I think if you asked Ten Hag, I don't think he wants him. And I'm not quite sure the dressing room at Manchester United would want Cristiano Ronaldo right now."
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Carragher's opinion that it was a 'bizarre' signing is in keeping with what he's said previously, telling SPORTbible that he felt it was a 'joke' signing, whilst in discussion with Roy Keane.
And the former Liverpool star's assertion that no one wants the Portugal star also seems to be spot on with Chelsea and Bayern Munich amongst those to turn him down.
Atletico Madrid was seen as an option for the former Juventus star, but his links to Atleti's rivals Real Madrid has annoyed fans, who have protested the potential signing.
In public, United's stance is still that they don't want to sell the striker, who, along with Anthony Martial, is one of only two options up front for Ten Hag right now.
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Gary Neville has called for his former side to accept that Ronaldo should go, rather than keep a player who doesn't want to be there, and let him leave.
Now they just need to find someone to sign him, which won't be easy if Carragher is right...
To access exclusive, unseen content from the Overlap Fan Debate, please visit Sky Bet’s Start of Season Hub.
Topics: Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United, Manchester United Transfer News & Rumours, Transfers, Jamie Carragher, Premier League
Ryan Sidle