Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly been offered to a trio of Premier League clubs with his Manchester United future firmly in doubt.
The 37-year-old could be set for a January exit after refusing to come on as a late substitute in United's 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur last Wednesday. To make matters worse, Ronaldo stormed down the tunnel and went straight out of the Old Trafford doors.
Erik ten Hag was deeply unhappy with Ronaldo's actions and dropped the Portuguese superstar for the Red Devils' trip to Chelsea on Saturday, while also fining the forward two weeks' wages. Gary Neville has since called for Ronaldo, who has scored just twice this season, to leave United - just a couple of months after the former Real Madrid man wanted to quit back in July.
According to the Sun, sources close to the Portugal international claim his advisors have sounded out Premier League clubs including Chelsea, Newcastle and Arsenal. The Blues were interested with a move for Ronaldo in the summer but Thomas Tuchel didn't want the forward, while Sporting Lisbon, PSG and Bayern Munich were also linked.
However, it is understood that Ronaldo is seen as 'too risky' by the Premier League trio and it seems unlikely that he will join any of United's domestic rivals. Chelsea completed the signing of Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang in August, while Gabriel Jesus joined Arsenal and Alexander Isak made the switch to Newcastle in the same window.
This could see Ronaldo move abroad instead and Napoli have reportedly become the frontrunners for his signature. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner would be open to join the Italian side, having spent three seasons in Serie A with Juventus, scoring over 50 goals in the process.
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But the deal could be complicated given Ronaldo's salary demands and Napoli's complicated wage structure. Napoli's current top earner, Poland international Piotr Zielinski, pockets just £90,000 each week - almost five times less than what Ronaldo earns at United.
The ex-Juventus man had been getting £480,000 per-week following his return to the Red Devils last summer. But their failure to qualify for this season's Champions League saw his salary slashed by 25 per cent, with Ronaldo now pocketing a 'mere' £360k. This still makes him United's highest earner, with David de Gea and Jadon Sancho just behind.
Ronaldo is open to take a pay cut, however, to make the move to Naples as he would also be competing in the Champions League. Napoli have already qualified for the knockout stages of the tournament, having picked up 12 points from a possible 12 so far. They are also top of the Serie A table, picking up nine wins from 11 games.
