How Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United could reunite this winter

The prospect of a winter reunion between Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United has been reignited after head coach Ruben Amorim revealed the club is exploring warm-weather friendlies.

United’s defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final meant no European football this season, freeing up midweek slots and impacting revenue.

Amorim confirmed the club, also out of the Carabao Cup, is considering friendlies to "compensate" for this loss.

Reports suggest the Red Devils could tour Saudi Arabia or Dubai, potentially facing Ronaldo’s Al Nassr, though the PA news agency understands no plans are yet set in stone.

Ronaldo won three Premier League titles and the Champions League during his first stint at United between 2003 and 2009 and returned for a second spell in the 2021-22 season.

A friendly match against another European giant, AC Milan, has also been mooted, with the Rossoneri similarly at a loose end without continental football.

Asked about the prospect of playing friendlies, Amorim said: “We have to do it. We knew it when we missed Europe. We have our fans, we have the budget, we have to compensate a lot of things.

“So we have to do it. We will do it. We want to be with our friends around the world. We have to manage and find the space to do it.”