Cristiano Ronaldo's Next Team Odds
Cristiano Ronaldo has wanted out of Manchester United all summer, but now, it appears the wheels are finally in motion.
On Tuesday, a report indicated that United have finally given the green light for Ronaldo to seek other clubs to move to.
His odds to stay at Manchester United have more than halved as a result of the news. The odds last week had been around -225 for him to stay in northwest England — now he's -110 to stay put.
One of the greatest footballers of all-time is tired of his time at United — tired enough to have walked off the pitch before the end of a friendly in which he started.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag called the move "unacceptable." For many, it was a proxy for what Ronaldo was really feeling — that he wants desperately to leave an operation that's been failing for the better part of a decade.
And who can blame him? United are in absolute shambles. They're at the bottom of the table — and they haven't been dominated by City, Liverpool or even Tottenham or Chelsea. They've been exposed by the likes of Brighton and Brentford, who United lost 2-1 and 4-0 to, respectively.
Ronaldo has expressed his desire to play Champions League football and is vying for the all-time Champions League goalscorer record.
Meanwhile, United are mired in pure mediocrity. Even snagging a top-six spot may be an accomplishment this season.
So, why hasn't Ronaldo already bounced? In any American sports league, he'd have been able to force his way out.
But in this particular situation, there aren't enough opportunities under financial fair play because of Ronaldo's exorbitant salary. The only Champions League teams that have room in their budgets to sign him — Sporting Lisbon, Chelsea, Atletico and Bayern Munich — have all but put him on their backburners. That's on account of his salary, but also his age.
Bayern is looking for a replacement for Robert Lewandowski, but their CEO has already ruled out a move for Ronaldo because his addition wouldn't "fit with our philosophy."
Same goes for Atletico, whose brass has also ruled out Ronaldo. The team would have to work out heavy finances in order to bring Ronaldo in, and a sizable contingent of supporters have also spoken out in an attempt to prevent the acquisition.
Meanwhile, Chelsea have also ruled Ronaldo out, preferring to go with cheaper and younger options.
That leaves his former club Sporting Lisbon, who will be competing in the Champions League this upcoming season.
It stands to reason Sporting are the favorites, besides United, to acquire the Portuguese international this summer.
Sporting will make be in the Champions League's group stages by virtue of having finished second in the Liga Portugal last season.
It would be a homecoming for Ronaldo, who spent his youth career with the Portuguese club and spent his first senior season there, too. From Sporting, he transferred to United in 2003.
A bet on Ronaldo to sign with Sporting before the summer transfer window expires on Sept. 1 would net $350 for every $100 wagered.
Meanwhile, a $100 bet on United would net $90.90.
No, this is a long-running joke on Twitter. I’m not buying any sports teams.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 17, 2022
On Tuesday night, Elon Musk made a fake overture to purchase Manchester United amid their embarrassing start.
The news made no impact on the odds of Ronaldo leaving — but it may have, had Musk not refuted his claim in a later tweet.
Musk tweeted at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday night that he was "buying Manchester United ur welcome." Four hours later, he said it was a "long running joke."
