Cristiano Ronaldo faces the prospect of having to see out the remainder of his contract - with Manchester United reluctant to let him leave in January.
Ronaldo's resolve to leave United hardened after boss Erik ten Hag left him on the bench for the entirety of Sunday's emphatic 6-3 derby defeat at Manchester City. Having failed to secure a move away from United in the summer, Ronaldo and his representatives are working to try to find the forward an escape route when the window opens in the new year.
But it is understood United are likely to be unwilling to let Ronaldo leave midway through the season, given they have no plans to enter the transfer market themselves in January for a striker. Against that backdrop, there is a reluctance at United to let Ronaldo go and leave themselves weaker in terms of cover, with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial both injury-prone.
