Porto president Pinto da Costa confirmed what everyone knew about Cristiano Ronaldo: "Nobody has the capacity to give him what he earns."
Nobody major, anyway. Ronaldo's sole offer in the summer was from Saudi Arabia and that rich region remains interested now his Manchester United contract has been shredded.
Jorge Mendes hawked Ronaldo around the continent but Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Napoli and AC Milan all passed. Ronaldo is training with Real Madrid again, a desperate means to polish his diminishing aura.
Also read: Dalot already back at Carrington
Last season, Ronaldo's friend and El Chiringuito reporter Edu Aguirre erroneously claimed their new coach Carlo Ancelotti wanted to re-sign Ronaldo. Ancelotti rubbished the story on the same day.
Ronaldo's footballing confidants have struggled to buttress his reputation. This newspaper reported earlier in the week Mendes was unaware of Ronaldo's unauthorised interview on Talk TV and industry figures have suggested the pair's working relationship could be over.
Given Ronaldo's histrionic behaviour in recent months, divorcing Mendes is one of the more measured acts. Ronaldo will have been appalled Mendes failed to sell him to a major club in a major league.
Ronaldo's £500,000 weekly salary at United was slashed to £375,000 this season as a result of their failure to qualify for the Champions League. His ego is gargantuan enough to wonder why Mendes did not secure an exemption from that penalty. Individually, Ronaldo succeeded as the collective collapsed last season.
In September, United posted record wages of £384.2m in 2021-22, described by chief financial officer Cliff Baty as "in line with expectations" for a season the club expected a championship challenge after the additions of Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane.
A reduction next season is inevitable with no Champions League participation this term and Baty forecasted savings of "high single digits" of millions.
It helps Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Edinson Cavani, Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata are off the books. That is around a million saved.
United's highest earners at the start of this season could both feasibly not be there next season. In Spain last week, Erik ten Hag indicated David de Gea's contract would also be extended but the 32-year-old is effectively on trial for the next five months.
De Gea has impressed this season and the new Spain coach Luis de la Fuente has an open goal to recall him to the squad. De Gea's stock is climbing upwards again and the bulk of United's investment next year will be on a forward, so there is logic to kicking the goalkeeping can down the road.
Realistically, United are not going to obtain a fee for the world's highest-paid 'keeper who is in the autumn of his career, so buying more time over De Gea's contract is sensible and low-risk.
There is not an obvious and attainable replacement, either. Unai Simon and Diogo Costa have been linked and must have wished the quicksands of Qatar had consumed them after dreadful errors at the World Cup. De Gea is a demonstrably better 'keeper than both.
Some of the bean counters must be tempted to leave De Gea's one-year extension dormant. Excluding the 25% reduction, De Gea earns £375,000 a week. He and Ronaldo would save nearly £1m on the weekly wage bill.
United still need one of their well-remunerated goalies to be elsewhere next season. Nottingham Forest are covering all of Dean Henderson's £75,000 weekly wages duiring his season-long loan but his salary could rise back to £100,000 if United finish in the top four.
After Henderson's outburst at the previous United regime, the club have to be more decisive than arranging the seventh loan of his career. Henderson turns 26 in March and remains in touch with the United goalkeeping coach Richard Hartis, which would indicate he has not been consigned to the past just yet.
Tom Heaton and Nathan Bishop are out of contract in the summer while the £6m obligation to buy Martin Dubravka is unlikely to be triggered as he would have to start multiple Premier League fixtures. Dubravka only started in the League Cup because Heaton had a knee injury.
Phil Jones, seldom at Carrington and last spotted by journalists waiting for a meeting in the reception area, will cease to be a United player after June 30. Axel Tuanzebe, last seen in a United shirt in the 2021 Europa League final, cannot be assured of having his one-year extension triggered.
Even with Casemiro's reputed weekly salary of £300,000 and four other permanent signings, United have made constructive cut-backs to facilitate significant signings ahead of next season. They also need a right-back and a younger central midfielder.
Ronaldo has given them the capacity to do that.
READ MORE:
