Who can really afford to take on a Cristiano Ronaldo? The £35m vanity project has failed but the icon may not get his wish to leave ailing Man United as the range of clubs suitable for the 37-year-old look vanishingly thin

That Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave Manchester United isn’t a huge surprise. Who wouldn’t want to leave a club run as badly as they are?

However, the next bit of the equation is a bit trickier. Who will actually want him on wages of £15million a year? Even if United subsidise that, there aren’t many clubs in the world that Ronaldo would consider acceptable who can afford a 37-year-old vanity project.

And despite the fact the return to Old Trafford has been a thoroughly unhappy reunion, how can new United manager Erik ten Hag actually afford to let him go?