And whether he spoke with Ronaldo on the phone, he said: “No, it was not an option for us, although he is a great player and has achieved many great successes.”

But he admitted his contact with Jorge Mendes, Ronaldo’s agent, when he answered a question in this regard, saying: “Yes, I spoke to him because we communicate most of the time.”

Several press reports had stated that the 37-year-old wanted to leave Old Trafford, in the framework of the current summer Mercato, and move to a team participating in the Champions League, this season, which did not happen in the end.