Cristiano Ronaldo has asked to leave Man United, says Duncan Castles | OneFootball

Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave Manchester United in order to play in the Champions League next season, according to a well-known Scottish journalist.

Writing in The Times, intrepid Daily Record reporter Duncan Castles claims that “Cristiano Ronaldo has asked to be allowed to leave Manchester United should the Premier League club receive a satisfactory offer in the transfer window.”

Castles further adds that “The 37-year-old’s decision is driven by a desire to play in the Champions League for the remainder of his career.”

Given that more reliable journalists have confirmed that Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has been in discussions with both Bayern Munich and Chelsea about a possible move, on this occasion Castles might not be too wide of the mark.

Ronaldo apparently believes he has “three or four years left” at the top level and wants to spend them in the Champions League.

“According to close friends … there are [also] personal reasons for leaving Manchester after a difficult period for his young family,” Castles claims.

The reporter states that United would want to recoup the €8 million they paid Juventus for the superstar’s transfer a year ago.

He further claims that a return to Serie A is another option under consideration, which would, one would think, limit his chances of winning the Champions League almost as much as playing in the Europa.

One has to go back to the 2009/10 season to find the last time a Serie A club lifted the trophy.

Mr Castles has been relatively quiet so far in this transfer window but he is back with a bang with this latest report.

The Times picked up a number of his stories last year about United lining up Zinedine Zidane to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as manager.

He also claimed United were preparing a massive offer for Harry Kane last summer.

Castles is known as being a Tier 4 journalist, which is considered low, but he is also reported to be “friends” with Mendes, which does give him a last thread of credibility when it comes to stories involving Mendes’ clients.