Tensions between Manchester United and Cristiano Ronaldo are set to rise after the club's new manager Erik ten Hag announced that the Portugal wizard wasn't up for sale during the summer, Spanish outlet Marca reported.
Ronaldo has stated his desire to split with the former Premier League champions, as he is reportedly unhappy at Old Trafford.
Moreover, he wants to participate in the UEFA Champions League, a tournament United won't be part of in 2022-23, owing to their failure to qualify for Europe's top club competition last season.
"He is not with us due to personal issues. We are planning with Cristiano Ronaldo for this season. That is it. I am looking forward to working with him. Cristiano is not for sale. He is in our plans. We want success together," ten Hag said in a press conference on Monday.
"I had a good talk [with Ronaldo]. That [what was said] is between Cristiano and me, what I can confirm is we had a really good conversation together," he added.
Ten Hag's comments come at a time when Ronaldo has been absent from United's pre-season training block at Carrington and will not be a part of their tour of Thailand and Australia.
The Five-time Ballon d'Or winner was United's top scorer in 2021-22, after netting 24 goals across all competitions. Eighteen of those goals came in the Premier League.
Despite Ronaldo's heroics, United failed to finish in the top-four of the English top-flight, ending at a miserable sixth spot in the table.