Cristiano Ronaldo bagged huge ‘six-figure’ bonus before asking to leave Manchester United - Reports

The timing of Cristiano Ronaldo's desire to leave Manchester United has raised a few eyebrows. According to The Sun (via Daily Mail), the 37-year-old forward pocketed a six-figure bonus days before his reported wish to leave the club. The source, though, did not mention the exact amount of bonus Ronaldo received.

Cristiano Ronaldo returned to United from Juventus last summer and had to take a significant pay cut to complete the transfer. To compensate for that, the club added various bonuses and add-ons as part of his deal.

According to the aforementioned source, Ronaldo bagged a huge bonus as soon as he entered the second year of his contract on July 1. The six-figure sum included a loyalty bonus along with image rights and a goal-scoring bonus.

A source at Manchester United said to The Sun regarding Ronaldo's timing of wanting to leave the club (via the Daily Mail):

"The contracts all renew at the start of July and then the news about Cristiano wanting to leave came out."

Another club insider said:

"He's done nothing wrong, but a few people have suggested the timing of it all might not be a coincidence, and Ronny (Ronaldo) could have revealed his wish to leave weeks ago."

Cristiano Ronaldo has expressed his desire to leave United following the club's failure to qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League. The Red Devils finished sixth in the Premier League despite Ronaldo netting 18 league goals.

The 37-year-old top-scored for the club with 24 strikes across competitions but endured a first trophyless campaign in more than a decade. He was one of the few shining lights in an otherwise dismal campaign for the Premier League giants.

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Cristiano Ronaldo has not travelled with Manchester United for pre-season tour

Cristiano Ronaldo has not travelled to Thailand for Manchester United's pre-season tour ahead of the 2022-23 season. The 37-year-old forward has been given additional leave due to 'family issues'.

However, that again raises speculation surrounding his future at Old Trafford. Premier League rivals Chelsea are interested in signing the five-time Ballon d'Or winner this summer (per Metro).

Erik ten Hag's men are scheduled to face Liverpool in their first pre-season friendly in Bangkok on 12 July. The Red Devils will then travel to Australia for more warm-up games.