Cristiano Ronaldo could be offered the chance to finally end his Manchester United nightmare by Turkish giants Galatasaray in January - just days after Erik ten Hag admitted the veteran was "p***** off" with a lack of first-team action.
Ronaldo only sealed a romantic return to Old Trafford last year, but the Portuguese superstar's second stint at the club has quickly turned sour. Despite notching 24 goals last term, Ronaldo was helpless as United slumped to their worst-ever finish in the Premier League era and missed out on Champions League qualification.
That scenario led Ronaldo to try and force an exit from the club in the summer; however, he was unable to source a viable escape route and has since been restricted to a bit-part role by Ten Hag.
Talk of a move away in the New Year has persisted, though, and Fotomac have now claimed that Galatasaray are ready to go 'all out' in the winter transfer window in a bid to lure Ronaldo to Istanbul.
Galatasaray chief Erden Timur has refused to publicly discuss the club's interest in signing the former Juventus and Real Madrid star, but the report claims that Timur is in 'constant communication' with Ronaldo and his representatives, with the Turkish giants ready to make 'all kinds of financial sacrifices' in order to strike a deal with the 37-year-old.
Okan Burak's side are unable to offer Ronaldo Champions League football - something the veteran reportedly saw as a non-negotiable in the summer - but that stance may have softened in the wake of his diminished role at Old Trafford.
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While it remains to be seen if Ronaldo would entertain Galatasaray's ambitious approach, further doubt was cast over his long-term future this week when Ten Hag admitted that Ronaldo was far from happy with the amount of first-team minutes he has clocked up during the Dutchman's tenure.
The United chief caused a stir when he claimed that he decided against bringing Ronaldo on in Sunday's 6-3 defeat against Manchester City out of "respect" for the veteran and his storied career.
But he defended that stance again before United's Europa League clash with Nicosia Omonia - although he did concede that Ronaldo wasn't happy with his new bit-part role. Ten Hag said on Wednesday: "I didn’t bring him on out of respect, it’s nothing to do with what’s happening for the future or January or next year. I don’t see he’s unhappy, he's happy, he’s training well, he’s enjoying it."
He continued: "He’s not happy that he wasn't playing Sunday, but that wasn’t the question. The question was about his mood when he’s around and he’s happy. Of course, he wants to play, he’s p***** off when he’s not playing."
