Cristiano Ronaldo asked to leave Manchester United, less than a year after his 'dream' return, transfer expert says

• Cristiano Ronaldo has asked to leave Manchester United, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.
• He rejoined the club last summer from Juventus, 12 years after he first left for Real Madrid.

Cristiano Ronaldo has asked to leave Manchester United less than a year after completing a sensational return to the English Premier League club, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

The Portuguese forward rejoined United last August from Juventus, 12 years after he first left the club to join Real Madrid for what was then a world record transfer fee.

Ronaldo called his return to Old Trafford last year a "dream come true."

Romano wrote in a tweet on Saturday that Ronaldo had told United he wants to leave the club this summer because "he wants to see more ambition."

Romano, an independent journalists who posts news on social media to millions of followers, is one of the most-respected sources of soccer transfer news in the world.

United finished sixth in the Premier League last season after suffering a string of heavy defeats, including a 4-0 defeat to Brighton and a 5-0 loss to Liverpool.

In April, the club appointed the former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag as its new manager for the coming season and Romano said ten Hag wants Ronaldo to stay.

But Ronaldo missed United's return to training on Monday due to "family reasons," Romano said, further fueling the uncertainty surrounding his future.

Chelsea FC, which was taken over by a consortium led by American billionaire Todd Boehly in May, is among the clubs said to be interested in signing Ronaldo.

According to The Athletic, Boehly met with Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes last month and discussed a potential transfer for the player.