In the wake of the fallout from his explosive no-holds-barred interview with Piers Morgan, wantaway Cristiano Ronaldo is now reportedly interested in joining David Beckham’s Inter Miami. Which is understandable considering the brevity of his situation where Europe’s top clubs appear to be keeping him at arms length.
Ronaldo, 37, has left his Manchester United future in doubt after this latest episode of him launching a toxic attack on the club’s owners the Glazers and manager Erik ten Hag. He’s also openly taken the club to task for their appointment of ex-boss Ralf Rangnick and cast aspersions on former team-mates Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney.
United are waiting for the full interview to be released on Wednesday and Thursday before deciding on the next course of action to take. The majority of critics have been unhesitant in calling for his immediate sacking, while others believe they should let him leave Old Trafford in the January transfer window.
According to The Sun, Inter Miami owner Beckham is keen to entice Ronaldo to Florida ahead of the 2023 MLS campaign. The former United star has long been known to be interested in signing the likes of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.
Beckham has allegedly spoken to Ronaldo’s representatives and the player is apparently showing interest in the move. While Messi remains Beckham’s primary target, Ronaldo’s availability has now put the Miami chief on alert. LAFC and LA Galaxy are also thought to be keen on him.
Interestingly, Ronaldo is reported to be unconcerned about working with Miami manager Phil Neville, despite being in the middle of a spat with his brother Gary. At the same time, Beckham is also close friends with Gary.
Ronaldo is indisputably one of the greatest footballers of all time after winning seven league titles, five Champions Leagues, five Ballon d’Or titles and Euro 2016, despite enduring a miserable 2021/22 campaign since his return to Old Trafford in August last season.
Although the Portugal captain was still able to deliver the goods and scored 24 goals that term, the Red Devils finished sixth in the Premier League table and failed to win a trophy for a fifth consecutive season, apart from failing to qualify for the Champions League this season. ending up with having to contend for the much less prestigious Europa League instead. Which understandably irks the Portugal skipper no end as he is most keen to preserve his Champions League credentials as the all-time top scorer so far, being ever mindful of the fact that a younger Messi is only a handful of goals behind him.
United have since picked up the pace under new manager Erik ten Hag this season, but Ronaldo has struggled to be a regular starter in the team, having scored just three goals in 16 appearances and is now playing a supporting role in the squad for the first time in his garlanded career.
The Portugal striker dominated the headlines for all the wrong reasons in October when he defiantly refused to come on as a substitute and petulantly stormed down the tunnel in the 2-0 Premier League win against Tottenham after having been relegated to the bench. He was subsequently fined two weeks pay and dropped from Ten Hag’s squad for his unbecoming behavior.
Ronaldo has now further angered United chiefs following his latest fiery outburst.
“I don’t have respect for him [Ten Hag] because he doesn’t show respect for me,” the footballer told Morgan. “If you don’t have respect for me, I’m never gonna have respect for you.”
On former gaffer Rangnick, Ronaldo said: “If you’re not even a coach, how are you going to be the boss of Manchester United? I’d never even heard of him.”