Wayne Rooney, a former striker for Manchester United, has pleaded with the team to allow Cristiano Ronaldo to depart this summer.

Ronaldo is reportedly aiming to leave Old Trafford because he wants to play for a Champions League team.

However, the greatest clubs in Europe have all turned down the 37-year-old, including Chelsea, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich.

Ronaldo is rumored to have told Erik ten Hag, the manager of Manchester United, that he is prepared to give everything against Brighton this weekend as he appears destined to stay at Old Trafford.

Rooney, though, believes it's time to bid the legendary football player farewell and is pleading with United to sell his ex-teammate before the transfer season shuts.

"United are exerting all of their efforts to get Frenkie de Jong, although they could use a midfielder. A No. 9 too," Rooney wrote in his Sunday Times column.

"In my opinion, United should release Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo can play for a Ten Hag squad, that is not the issue. Any team can use him. You'll always get goals from Ronny.

The goal must be to create a club that can win the league in the following three to four years, and he added, "My personal opinion is that United aren't ready to contend for the title now."