Cristiano Ronaldo's frustrations with Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag are reaching their boiling point, according to reports, with the veteran striker set to "redouble" his efforts to leave once the World Cup is out of the way. And a move to Bayern Munich could re-emerge, after CEO Oliver Kahn revealed they "quickly wrote him off" in the summer.
Finding the balance with Ronaldo has been one of the big tests of Ten Hag's tenure so far but it seems he sees him as a disruptive and distracting influence on the rest of the squad. The former Ajax boss has relegated him to a rotation role, starting regularly in the Europa League but just once domestically so far - he was an unused sub in the bruising 6-3 derby defeat to Manchester City.
As one of the greatest players ever, it's no huge surprise to hear that Ronaldo sees bigger things for himself than starts against FC Sheriff and Omonia Nicosia, but Ten Hag doesn't share that vision with Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford preferred up top. And that's been a contributing factor to a "breakdown" in his relationship with Ten Hag.
The Times say his lack of minutes, as well as a growing frustration with the Dutchman's training and tactics, have led to a point where neither Ten Hag or Ronaldo want to work together. It's claimed the manager has privately told Ronaldo he'd like him to leave in January so he can direct funds elsewhere, while it's claimed Ronaldo is ready to "redouble" his efforts to find a new club in January - he's out of contract in the summer so has some leverage - after failing to do so in the summer.
That's a little easier said than done, however. Even after a much-publicised 25 per cent pay cut in the summer, Spotrac have Ronaldo's salary at more than £500,000 per week - making him comfortably the top earner in the squad. He's played less than a third of their league minutes this season. And he's 38 in February. You can see where the problem is.
There was interest in him in the summer as Bayern CEO Kahn explains that they considered it but quickly "wrote him off," likely for all the same reasons Ten Hag seemingly wants rid. Kahn explained: "We talked briefly about Cristiano at Bayern and probably also at Dortmund.
"We also see the big picture in the Bundesliga and an important factor in drawing attention to the league is of course superstars like him. He is one of the greatest of the last decade, but we quickly wrote him off."
But with Ronaldo now seemingly even more desperate to leave, January presenting United's last chance of recouping a fee, and the World Cup in Qatar giving him the chance to showcase his best football with regular minutes on the big stage, will there be one final mega move for one of the game's greatest ever? Time will tell.
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