'It'd be special' - Former Manchester United teammate backs controversial Cristiano Ronaldo reunion

Former Manchester United defender Wes Brown would love to see Ruben Amorim’s side face Cristiano Ronaldo if they go ahead with a controversial proposed mid-season friendly in Saudi Arabia.

United are in talks over a possible lucrative trip to the Middle East early next year, that could see them face former forward Ronaldo with his Al Nassr side. The club ended last season with a trip to Malaysia and Hong Kong that is understood to have generated £7.4m in revenue and Amorim recently admitted a mid-season trip was on the cards amid a lack of European football.

There would be plenty of controversy if United go ahead with such an event, though many fans might like to see a final farewell with Ronaldo after he left the club in such a sour manner three years ago. The Portugal legend mutually agreed to terminate his contract in November 2022 after a bombshell interview in which he said he had been 'betrayed' by United, claimed he was being forced out of the club and said he had no respect for former manager Erik ten Hag.

Quizzed on the possibility, former teammate Brown endorsed the proposed friendly. "I’d love to see us play Cristiano Ronaldo if we play against Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia," he told 10bet Casino. "Some sides just go for a winter break but it’d be special if we got to play some games again, especially against Cristiano.

"A lot of things have changed for the club and for Cristiano since he left, but I think there are no hard feelings on either side at this point, and I think the fans still love him.

"Now that Erik ten Hag’s gone, I think that’s all been forgotten. The supporters will know that the way it ended wasn’t great, but even in that second spell, he scored goals. He was fantastic, he did his job, and kept scoring goals. I think a match to say goodbye like that would be perfect."

Asked whether he could even see Ronaldo return to Old Trafford in a future executive role, Brown added: "You never know what Cristiano Ronaldo wants to do, but you can’t doubt him after everything he’s achieved. I think first of all, it depends how he’s doing in Saudi Arabia, because it’s not clear he’ll be stopping any time soon - he’s still banging them in for Al Nassr.

"But he could definitely move into the boardroom, he’s got the ability to swerve away from coaching and into the executive level, 100 percent. Why not? If he’s enjoying it, it’ll be perfect for him."

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