Ronaldo running out of options...

If the rumours are to be believed then Cristiano Ronaldo desperately wants out of Old Trafford but it seems his options are dwindling.

The Portuguese star was linked with Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, and Bayern Munich after asking to leave Manchester United. For a legend of the game you'd think he would be able to dictate his future yet one by one his options are shrinking.

PSG decided against the box-office duo of Ronaldo & Messi, Chelsea seemed keen but Thomas Tuchel was allegedly much less interested despite Romelu Lukaku’s departure, and Bayern bosses have repeatedly dismissed the idea of signing the 37-year-old.

The latest rumour has now suggested that Atlético Madrid would consider signing the former Real Madrid man. Diego Simeone and Ronaldo would be a fascinating pair but the financial difficulties of a player like Cristiano might be too much for Atleti.

CBS journalist Ben Jacobs quoted the Spanish club's sources as saying the move to the Metropolitano is currently “problematic and unrealistic.”

Amusingly, the only time Ronaldo has spoken up to dispute a transfer rumour is the brief link with a return to Sporting. The player’s car was apparently pictured parked in the Estádio José Alvalade prompting talks of a potential loan move to the Primeira Liga runners-up.

However, Ronaldo refuted the rumour on Instagram as ‘fake’ not long after – something he hasn’t done for any of the other links so far. The player is still in Portugal and has been missing United's pre-season due to family reasons.

So, where next for Cristiano Ronaldo?

At the moment it seems Manchester United and the Europa League is the only option available and without the player suffering a significant pay cut it’s unlikely that any other Champions League final will be able to afford him.

Jorge Mendes is exploring all possibilities. He even went to Barcelona prior to Robert Lewandowski’s arrival. Nothing came of talks but contact was made.

— Ben Jacobs (@JacobsBen) July 18, 2022