Cristiano Ronaldo has four emergency options in January after Man Utd meltdown | Football | Sport

Terminate his own contract

It would come at heavy financial loss, but Ronaldo could request to have his contract terminated by United. That would allow him to seek a free transfer in January – which interested parties might be more open to. 

It was widely reported that Ronaldo actually asked the Red Devils to do this in the summer when he was desperate to depart, but that was dismissed by the Old Trafford hierarchy. Club chiefs might now see it as one of few options given Ten Hag’s strong treatment of the player. 

U-turn and accept a lesser role under Ten Hag

Ronaldo showing a bit of humility seems unlikely after his outburst against Spurs – but he could still decide that his future remains in Manchester. The veteran attacker would need to accept that he will play a lesser role in Ten Hag’s team, with several players being preferred by the United boss.