Cristiano Ronaldo: Real Madrid president's reaction when asked to re-sign him | OneFootball

Cristiano Ronaldo has made it very clear that he’d prefer to be playing for a new club in 2022/23.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner returned to Manchester United from Juventus last summer and was tipped to lead the Red Devils to glory.

Things certainly didn’t pan out that way, though.

Despite the fact a 37-year-old Ronaldo bagged 24 goals across all competitions, United endured a miserable 2021/22 campaign overall.

They ended up finishing sixth in the Premier League, which means they’ll be playing Europa League football this season rather than Champions League.

For Ronaldo, that’s simply not acceptable.

The Champions League is his personal playground and he wants to play in the competition in every remaining year of his professional career.

So that’s primarily why he’s been seeking a move elsewhere this summer, although potential suitors for the Portugal international have been hard to come by.

Most of Europe’s elite have been linked with him in recent months, but nothing substantial has really materialised.

Even Ronaldo’s former club Real Madrid have been tipped as a possible destination in rumour mills, although president Florentino Perez clearly isn’t keen on making a move.

Why do we say that? Well, footage has emerged of Perez’s reaction when he was apparently asked by a fan to re-sign Los Blancos’ greatest ever player.

Check out the video that’s doing the rounds on social media…

Video: Perez’s reaction when asked to re-sign Ronaldo

Perez said: “Sign Cristiano? Again? He’s 38 years old.”

A telling reaction from Real Madrid’s often controversial president – one in which he got Ronaldo’s age wrong by a year.

The leading scorer in men’s professional football doesn’t turn 38 until February 5.

But while Ronaldo is still among the finest in the business in his twilight years, it’s clear that Real Madrid do not need him.

Last season, Carlo Ancelotti’s side completed a La Liga and Champions League double, with Karim Benzema comfortably the world’s best player throughout the campaign.

Then you have Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes and a revitalised Eden Hazard available as attacking options, so Ronaldo could not be guaranteed regular first-team football – which is what he would demand.

In truth, it’s hard to envisage a world in which Ronaldo isn’t playing for United in 2022/23, as there just does not seem to be enough interest in him from top European clubs.