Cristiano Ronaldo: Manchester United contract cancelled

Cristiano Ronaldo has left Manchester United with immediate effect following a TV interview he gave last week.

The club and the player stated that the decision was "mutually agreed" and ends Ronaldo's second spell at the Red Devils.

A statement released by Manchester United said "the club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford."

Ronaldo is preparing for his first game for Portugal in the World Cup.

He said "I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never ever change. However, it feels like the right time for me to seek a new challenge.

I wish the team every success for the remainder of the season and for the future," he said in a statement.

'Both parties will be delighted'

The news of Ronaldo's departure broke during the Mexico v Poland match on Tuesday evening.

"He obviously did that interview with the mind-set that he wanted to get out of the of the club," said ex-teammate Rio Ferdinand on BBC Sport.

"He wasn't happy, and he made it very clear."

Ronaldo is in Qatar training with the Portugal squad ahead of their opening match on Thursday

In the TalkTV interview he gave to Piers Morgan last week he openly criticised Manchester United and said how he felt "betrayed by the club".

He was very critical of the manager Erik ten Hag and described how he had seen "no evolution" at the club since former manager Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

It was an interview that quite clearly showed he had no intention of wanting to stay at Manchester United and he's got what he wanted.

"Both parties will be delighted," said Ferdinand.

"I think Erik ten Hag got what he wanted in this situation as well. Both parties are happy and we can move on."

Ronaldo a free agent

With his £500,000-a-week contract cancelled with immediate effect, Ronaldo is now free to sign for any team who wants him when the transfer window opens in January.

He could go anywhere, including another Premier League club. In the interview he described how close he was to joining Manchester City. Could a move to Man U's closest rivals be a possibility, or will he leave the UK and head for the US or a club playing in the Champions League?

Whatever happens next, he can now focus on his World Cup with Portugal and Manchester United, fifth in the table, have the next few weeks to let things settle and prepare for the Premier League restart at Christmas.

"Everyone at Manchester United remains focused on continuing the team's progress under Erik ten Hag and working together to deliver success on the pitch," the United statement said.

Where do you think Ronaldo should go next? Would you like him playing at your club? Let us know what you think in the comments below.