Cristiano Ronaldo set to leave Manchester United after agreeing immediate departure

The relationship between the club and the player has been soured since the summer with Ronaldo - who is currently in Qatar with his national side for the World Cup - handed in a request to leave Old Trafford after weeks of discontent.

Manchester United announced the decision on their official website on Tuesday evening. 

They explained in a statement: "Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect. The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford, scoring 145 goals in 346 appearances, and wishes him and his family well for the future.

"Everyone at Manchester United remains focused on continuing the team’s progress under Erik ten Hag and working together to deliver success on the pitch."

Ronaldo was in his second spell at the club, having joined as an 18-year-old back in 2003 and stayed for six years before moving to Real Madrid. 

He rejoined in the summer of 2021 and was their top goalscorer for Man Utd in what was a season to forget for the club.

The arrival of Erik ten Hag (52) as manager in the summer spelt the beginning of the end for Ronaldo and he ha struggled to break into the first team since the start of the season with most of his appearances coming in the Europa League as part of a rotated squad.

His future remains uncertain with a persistent link back to his boyhood club, Sporting Lisbon, not going away.