CRISTIANO RONALDO talked himself out of a potential £25million new deal thanks to his bitter TV attack on Manchester United.
For boss Erik ten Hag has revealed he would have considered keeping on the sacked superstar had he buckled down and kept his trap shut.
Ronaldo said in his blistering telly interview with Piers Morgan that he had been “betrayed” by United, adding that he had “no respect” for Ten Hag.
Yet the Dutchman reveals he would have been open to letting him sign a new £480,000 deal next summer.
Asked if he would have been against a further deal for the 37-year-old he declared : “Definitely not.
“It is theoretical but yes, potentially, should he fit in.
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“Last year he scored 24 goals, yes? So what does this team need?
“We need goals.”
Instead, six days after his controversial tell–all interview with Morgan the contract that still had seven months to run was torn up.
Ten Hag says : “It was not my objective. It looks like it, but it was not my objective.
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“We wanted him to be part of our project.
“Him to contribute to Manchester United because he is a great player.
“He has such a great history, but it’s the past and we have to look into the future and I don’t spend my energy on it.
“I wanted him to stay from the first moment until now.
“But he wanted to leave, it was quite clear, and after that interview it was clear he had to leave.”
Ronaldo has reportedly been offered the opportunity to play in Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr, with a cool £173m a year deal being put on the table for him.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
