"As things stand" - Fabrizio Romano comments on possible Newcastle United move for Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo

Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is not on Newcastle United's radar for a potential permanent transfer in the future, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

Ronaldo, 37, has been the talk of the town since before the start of the season. The Portuguese failed to engineer a move away from Old Trafford to pursue UEFA Champions League action earlier this summer. Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid all rebuffed a move for the player.

Under new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, the Portuguese striker has started just six games, with only two coming in the Premier League. He has netted just two goals and contributed one assist in 12 appearances across all competitions this term.

In his column for Caught Offside, Romano addressed Newcastle United being in the race for the signature of the five-time Ballon d'Or winner. He wrote:

"There's plenty of Cristiano Ronaldo speculation doing the rounds, and one story stated that Newcastle have decided against signing him. Newcastle always wanted to go down a different path with a focus on young players. No news on him, as things stand."

Napoli were linked with a permanent move for the attacker during the final days of the summer transfer window. Shedding light on the Serie A side's pursuit, Romano added:

"I've seen reports that Napoli are now the most likely destination for him, but that's not my current understanding of the situation. Napoli have [Victor] Osimhen, [Giovanni] Simeone and [Giacomo] Raspadori as strikers, so I don't see them joining the race for him in January – at least, nothing ongoing as of today."

Ronaldo has a contract at Old Trafford until June of 2023. However, Manchester United have the option to extend the deal by an additional year.

Gary Neville lambasts Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo for recent antics

Ronaldo recently made headlines for storming down the tunnel before the final whistle during his team's 2-0 home win over Tottenham Hotspur last week. He did so after refusing to come on as a substitute during the Premier League contest.

The Portuguese was subsequently dropped from the Red Devils' squad for their 1-1 away draw against Chelsea on Saturday (22 October).

Speaking on Sky Sports, former Manchester United captain Gary Neville defended Erik ten Hag's recent decision and slammed the player for his outburst. He said (via the Mirror):

"Erik ten Hag had no choice. Cristiano's left the ground twice, you can't do that. He is going to have to go to some [other club] that's going to play him every week because he can't accept being on the bench."

He continued:

"End it this week or create a truce to get to the World Cup. Leaving the dressing room before full-time, that's not what he does. If you're doing things like that, you've got to leave."

Ronaldo is expected to return to the first-team squad for his side's UEFA Europa League clash against FC Sheriff on Thursday (27 October).