The Premier League is approaching a landmark age: on August 15, the competition will be 30 years old, with that date ultimately ushering in a golden era for English football.

Although we may be 10 days away from that particular milestone, Friday sees the latest edition of the Premier League kick off with Crystal Palace and Arsenal contesting the opening game of the 2022-23 campaign at Selhurst Park.

As such, it only seems right to jump the gun a little and look back on the first 30 years of what many believe has become the greatest league in world football.

So, buckle up as Stats Perform takes you on a trip down memory lane…

Managing expectations

This is classic 'pub quiz' territory: which manager has presided over the most Premier League games?

You know it's either Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger, don't you? You probably end up going for the Manchester United icon because of his sheer longevity.

Alas, you'd be wrong.

Wenger took charge of 18 more Premier League games (828) than 'Fergie' before he brought his long Arsenal career to a close.

Nevertheless, Ferguson's 13 titles look unlikely to ever be matched. His closest rival in that respect is Pep Guardiola (four), with Wenger joined on three by Jose Mourinho.

Play on, player

Over the first 30 seasons of the Premier League, 4,488 players have appeared in the competition at an average of 149.6 debutants per campaign.

If we ignore the inaugural season for obvious reasons, the campaign with the most debutants was 2015-16 when 162 players made their Premier League bows.

Of the nearly 4,500 individuals to feature in the competition, Gareth Barry sits clear with the most appearances (653), the last of which came during the 2017-18 season with West Brom.

It's a record that will take some beating, but if anyone's got a chance of toppling him, it's his former Manchester City team-mate James Milner.

The 36-year-old, now of Liverpool, is fourth on the all-time list with 588 outings.

Forever young

Everyone loves a 'wonderkid'. The Premier League has seen more than its fair share over the years, and some got started very, very young.

Mark Platts was the first 16-year-old to ever play in the Premier League when he made his Sheffield Wednesday debut in February 1996.

When Matthew Briggs came along 11 years later and featured for Fulham at 16 years and 68 days old, you'd have been forgiven for thinking his record would stand the test of time.

It lasted 12 years until another Fulham player shaved 38 days off Briggs' record – that player was Harvey Elliott. Now at Liverpool, the young midfielder looks set for a glittering career.

The name of the game

Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Mohamed Salah, Wayne Rooney – when you think of Premier League goalscorers, these are probably the names that immediately spring to mind.

Well, you're wrong. You should be thinking about Andrew Johnson, Glen Johnson, Tommy Johnson, Bradley Johnson, Roger Johnson et al.

Why? Because there are more players with the surname Johnson to have scored in the Premier League than any other surname.

There have been 21 of them to be exact, two more than the Williams clan.

Synonymous.

Get to the points

It's been a frustrating few (nine?) years for Man United fans, but don't worry, folks, if you just look at the big (massive) picture, it'll definitely all feel much better.

United still sit top of the overall Premier League table with 2,366 points, giving them a healthy 225-point cushion over second-placed Arsenal.

Manchester City may have won four of the past five league titles, a feat only United had achieved before them in the Premier League, but the real story is that they're way back on 1,629 Premier League points.

Yo-yo with the flow

To be fair, almost every single one of you knows what's coming here.

You guessed it, Norwich City's relegation from the last season makes them the yo-yoingest (yes, we've just made that up) club in Premier League history.

That was their sixth relegation to go with their five promotions to the top flight since 1992, taking them one clear of West Brom, who have the same number of ascensions but only five demotions to their name.

I love goals, goals, goals, goals

Of course, Shearer remains the Premier's League all-time leading scorer with 260, 52 more than Wayne Rooney in second.

But Harry Kane looks to be in with a chance of usurping both England greats – in fact, another solid season could take him beyond 200 as he begins the 2022-23 campaign on 183.

Kane also appears among the very best goalscoring combinations in the competition's history as he and Son Heung-min have linked up for 41 goals – that's five more than Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard as the next-best.

As for high-scoring matches, there have been three Premier League games that have finished with a nine-goal margin – two were achieved by Man United (9-0 v Southampton in February 2021, and v Ipswich Town in March 1995) and Leicester City managed it in October 2019, also crushing Saints 9-0.

Do call it a comeback

Your team's trailing 2-0, you're despondent and bereft of hope. But then, out of nowhere, you've got a goal back. Then the equaliser. And then, just when you'd convinced yourself "this draw feels like a win", a third goes in, and it's pandemonium.

There are few more satisfying situations in football than when you team produces such a turnaround – the despair you were feeling earlier only makes your full-time jubilation that bit more intense.

The biggest such turnarounds that led to wins all involved teams coming back from three goals down. Leeds United, Wimbledon and Wolves have all managed it in 4-3 victories, while Man United beat Spurs 5-3 from 3-0 down.

No team have done so since Wolves in October 2003, although Newcastle United certainly deserve a special mention – they are the only team to find themselves 4-0 down and avoid defeat. Their 4-4 draw with Arsenal in February 2011 remains a Premier League classic.

Stop the clock!

Here's another for the pub quiz enthusiasts: who scored the quickest goal in Premier League history?

Netting just 7.69 seconds into an April 2019 game between Southampton and Watford, Shane Long opened the scoring to break a 19-year record that had been set by Spurs defender Ledley King.

To put that into context, it'd take you longer to read that sentence. It was also quicker than Usain Bolt's world-record time in the 100 metres (9.58 seconds).

The latest goal ever is maybe a less notable record, but it nonetheless belongs to Bruno Fernandes, who in September 2020 scored a penalty after 99 minutes and 45 seconds to seal United a dramatic 3-2 win over Brighton and Hove Albion – yes, that's the game when the Seagulls hit the woodwork a record five times.

As for the quickest hat-trick, that was scored by Sadio Mane for Southampton against Aston Villa in May 2015, with his first and third goals separated by just two minutes and 56 seconds.

Cristiano Ronaldo should be shown the door at Manchester United, according to the star's former club-mate Gary Neville.

Speculation has mounted over Ronaldo's future in recent months, with the 37-year-old seemingly wanting out of Old Trafford in search of Champions League football.

He has featured in only 45 minutes of United's pre-season, starting in a 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano last weekend. He was taken off at half-time and left the ground before the match had finished, which manager Erik ten Hag branded as "unacceptable".

Ex-Ajax boss Ten Hag has previously stated Ronaldo is part of his plans heading into his first campaign as United manager, but Neville - who believed the former Real Madrid and Juventus forward would transform his old club into Premier League title contenders when he re-joined last year - thinks the time is right to cut ties.

He said on Sky Sports' The Overlap: "Ronaldo will go down in the top players of all time, and what happens this summer at Manchester United will be forgotten about in 20 years, but as an ex-Manchester United captain and senior player, it's unpalatable and unfeasible to see the star player in the dressing room playing up.

"You cannot have your star player running the shop.

"I know fans want Ronaldo to stay, but if he wants to leave, Manchester United should facilitate that."

Neville's fellow pundit Jamie Carragher, meanwhile, said he felt this type of situation was inevitable.

The former Liverpool defender said: "I always felt this situation would come, even if Ronaldo did great for a year, he signed a two-year deal with an option of another year which I couldn't believe, because he's never going to play second fiddle to anyone.

"Ronaldo turns 38 this season, he's a great goalscorer but he's not the same player.

"No other club in Europe wants him and I'm not sure Ten Hag wants him either, and I'm not quite sure the dressing room want him now either."

Ronaldo scored 18 league goals last season, yet those strikes were not enough to help United finish higher than sixth place with their lowest ever Premier League points tally (58).

United start their Premier League campaign at home against Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday.

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag insisted he is "not frustrated at all" by the club's transfer window, despite encountering difficulties in the market.

United have drafted in Christian Eriksen, Lisandro Martinez and Tyrell Malacia ahead of the 2022-23 campaign but have not been able to land other targets – including Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong.

That has led to some reports that the club are concerned about the limited number of new arrivals ahead of the Premier League season, which United begin at Old Trafford against Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday.

Ten Hag has denied that he feels that way, however, adding that he is "really happy" with the three additions the club has made.

"I'm not frustrated at all. First of all, we have a squad and we have already made progress. We are more pro-active than we were at the start," he told Sky Sports.

"Second is the players who we have now signed. We are really happy with them. You can already see that they can contribute to the squad.

"The last thing is that we know what we want. It's not about signing players; it's about signing the right players.

"So, we are really planning it carefully and we are sticking to that and working hard to get the right players in to construct a good squad and a squad that can win games."

Another problem for United in the close season has been Cristiano Ronaldo, who is widely reported to be seeking an exit from the club in order to continue playing Champions League football.

The Portugal international has managed just 45 minutes in pre-season, having missed the club's tour of Australia and the Far East, leaving him lacking fitness ahead of the campaign.

There have also been questions as to whether Ronaldo can fit into the style of play that Ten Hag will adopt at United this season but the Dutch coach does not have any concerns.

"It starts with him getting fit because he's only just started," he added.

"He is a fantastic football player, and he has proved it so many times, but you are always judged on what you are presenting now and how you are performing now.

"So, the team and Cristiano himself has to prove it."

Cristiano Ronaldo is "thinking about himself" with his desire to leave Manchester United, says former Red Devils team-mate Louis Saha.

The Portugal international has reportedly asked to leave Old Trafford for a club who are playing in the Champions League.

United cannot offer him football at that level after the team only finished sixth in last season's Premier League.

Ronaldo finished as top scorer in his first season back at United with 24 goals in all competitions, but he was absent from pre-season trips to Thailand and Australia and only returned to action in Sunday's 1-1 friendly draw with Rayo Vallecano.

Even that was not without controversy as Ronaldo, who started the game but made way for Amad Diallo at half-time, was pictured leaving Old Trafford while the second half was ongoing.

Saha played with Ronaldo during the 37-year-old's first spell at the club, and believes his former colleague needs to look at the wider picture.

"In some way, from Cristiano Ronaldo's point of view it's a bit unrealistic to ask now a club of this size to adapt to him and his dream," Saha told Sky Bet in quotes reported by several British newspapers.

"I'm not Cristiano but as someone who seems to be a supporter of Manchester United, I have felt like he hasn't shown completely enough of that, he is thinking about himself.

"I am not going to judge him because he is an immense player and I'm not in his position, but I would have loved him to stay because he's a terrific player.

"No one can judge his actions at this moment because it's his own career."

Despite Ronaldo's reported desire to leave, a number of European giants have distanced themselves from signing him, with clubs such as Chelsea and Bayern Munich seemingly not interested in signing the 37-year-old.

It remains to be seen whether he will still be a United player when they open their Premier League campaign against Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday, as they attempt to bounce back from a season where they achieved their lowest ever Premier League points total of 58.

Cristiano Ronaldo's decision to leave Old Trafford early during the friendly with Rayo Vallecano was "unacceptable", Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has said.

Ronaldo was top scorer for the Red Devils last season with 24 goals and started the game against the LaLiga side on Sunday, but he made way at half-time for 20-year-old Amad Diallo.

The Portugal international was then pictured leaving the stadium midway through the second half, in a game which United ultimately ended up drawing 1-1.

The former Real Madrid star has reportedly told United he wishes to leave in order to play Champions League football, something the Red Devils cannot offer after they only finished sixth in the Premier League last season.

However, a number of big European clubs have distanced themselves from signing Ronaldo, with the likes of Chelsea and Bayern Munich seemingly not interested in signing the 37-year-old.

He had been absent from United's pre-season until last week, and his early exit from Old Trafford only added fuel to the fire ahead of their Premier League opener against Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday.

It has been reported that Ronaldo was not the only player to leave the stadium before the weekend game ended.

Ten Hag was clearly not impressed by the premature departures, telling ViaPlay Sport Nederland: "It is unacceptable for everyone.

"I am telling them it's unacceptable. We are a team. A squad. Until the end we stay together."

United's points total of 58 in 2021-22 was their lowest in a Premier League season, but new boss Ten Hag will hope they are strengthened by the addition of defender Lisandro Martinez from his former club Ajax.

Creative midfielder Christian Eriksen and Netherlands international Tyrell Malacia have also been acquired, though the Frenkie de Jong saga with Barcelona continues to rumble on, with Chelsea now reportedly interested.

Erik ten Hag needs to "engage" with Cristiano Ronaldo and seek his input if he is to keep the Portuguese superstar happy at Manchester United, according to Ralf Rangnick's former assistant Chris Armas.

Ronaldo is reportedly eager to leave Old Trafford once again after United failed to qualify for the Champions League last season.

Several clubs have been linked with a move for Ronaldo, but Chelsea apparently decided to focus on other targets; Bayern Munich said such a transfer would not align with their club policies; and Atletico Madrid fans have actively protested the idea of the club signing a Real Madrid great.

For the time being, it would appear Ronaldo is set to remain at the club for the upcoming season, and he belatedly made his first pre-season appearance in the weekend's 1-1 friendly draw with Rayo Vallecano having missed United's tour of Thailand and Australia for "family reasons".

There are certainly those in the fanbase who are keen for Ronaldo to leave as well, despite him top scoring with 24 goals across all competitions last term, as there is a perception his presence will inhibit new manager Ten Hag developing a style of play that requires intense pressing.

But Armas, who assisted Rangnick at the club last season, is adamant Ronaldo has a lot to give.

"It's a hands-on approach, speaking with him, bringing him into the office, asking him questions, so he's part of the solutions and part of the success," he told Sky Sports when asked how to maximise Ronaldo's impacts.

"It was my job to work out how to get all that fire, experience and talent and challenge him as much as I could. I think the most important thing is to engage with Cristiano.

"He's got so much to give, his commitment to winning and scoring, each guy has their different type of leadership. He can be a leader in his way, and my goal like everyone in the squad was to say how can I get the most out of Cristiano.

"When you talk about, at the highest level, seeing a professional and what winning means to Ronaldo, what scoring goals mean to him - he's on the team, a big part of the team and he's a guy who produced."

The 2021-22 season ended up seeing a disappointing United plumb new depths, as they recorded their lowest Premier League points total (58) and failed to record a positive goal difference for the first time in over 30 years in the top flight.

Armas came in with Rangnick when United were attempting to steady the ship following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who paid the price for a rocky start to the campaign.

Rarely were United impressive on the pitch, and issues relating to their performances were exacerbated by leaks to the media, reports of player unrest and generally what Armas considered "noise".

For all the criticism aimed at Rangnick and his team, Armas believes United were effectively on track for a top-four finish until Champions League elimination by Atletico in March derailed their season.

"People who know me know what I care about and how much I value the team. What happens on the inside, as we say," he continued.

"When things are trying to penetrate and negativity is coming from the outside – to be honest, a lot of it was untrue. Who's to say what's true and not, but I can tell you a lot of it was untrue, and that it does create negativity. For those players, and myself included, you can't listen to the noise.

"We were trying to become a team, it's always a process but at Manchester United, at the time we arrived, all of us were trying to come together.

"I think Ralf did a really good job of stabilising things when we got there. You realise what a challenge it was, but after the Champions League exit, not getting the result at home, you can see the air got sucked out a little bit in what we were doing. Then it becomes difficult.

"Did we really move the needle, in the end? We wanted to finish in the top four and play a small part in that, it's disappointing in the end but overall it was an incredible experience for me."

United begin the new season at home to Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday.

A study from Ofcom ahead of the new season has found that seven out of 10 Premier League footballers have been abused on Twitter.

It also revealed that 362 tweets containing abuse are sent to Premier League players every day, and that eight out of the top 10 Premier League players most abused online played for Manchester United last season.

Half of the derogatory tweets were targeted at just 12 players, with United's Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire receiving the most abuse.

Other players in the top 10 included Bruno Fernandes, Fred, David de Gea, Marcus Rashford, Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Harry Kane and Jack Grealish.

In the report, Ofcom's Group Director for Broadcasting and Online Content Kevin Bakhurst said: "Football is a game of high emotion, pride and belonging.

"Sometimes that emotion can cross the line. Over the years, football has made great strides in tackling unacceptable behaviour by small minorities, which can blight the game for everyone else.

"This kind of abuse has no place in sport, any more than in wider society.

"Reports such as this will help us to understand the problem, hold tech firms to account when we take on our new responsibilities, and ultimately create a safer life online."

Cristiano Ronaldo made his first Manchester United appearance under Erik ten Hag in the final pre-season match against Rayo Vallecano ahead of the new campaign.

The 37-year-old has made his desire to leave United before the close of the transfer window at the end of August clear but has found suitors for his services difficult to come by.

Having missed the squad's pre-season tour of the Far East and Australia due to family reasons, Ronaldo was once again absent for the defeat against Atletico Madrid in Oslo on Saturday.

It was confirmed, however, that Ronaldo would feature in Sunday's friendly against Rayo Vallecano at Old Trafford - with the former Real Madrid and Juventus star named in the starting line-up.

Ronaldo played the first half at Old Trafford before being replaced at the interval by Amad Diallo, who promptly opened the scoring immediately upon his introduction.

With just 45 minutes of pre-season football under his belt, Ronaldo seems unlikely to play the entirety of Manchester United's pre-season opener against Brighton and Hove Albion next weekend.

Ten Hag has already made that clear, saying on Saturday that he was not "on the level" of his teammates.

"I cannot tell in this moment [how fit he is]. He is not on the level of the rest of the squad because he missed a lot of weeks. But he needs games and he needs training, a lot," he said following the defeat to Atletico.

Bayern Munich chief executive Oliver Kahn has ruled out a move for another striker, despite the sale of Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona.

The Bundesliga champions have been linked with moves for Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane in recent weeks, although the club have distanced themselves from such rumours.

Lewandowski scored 50 goals in all competitions last season but made it clear he wanted a new challenge in Spain and secured a move to Barca in mid-July.

Speaking after Bayern's 5-3 DFL-Supercup victory against RB Leipzig, Kahn said there was "no discussion" about bringing in another number nine.

"That was strong," he said of the performance to BILD. "You could see how many opportunities we had going forward, how many different formations we had, how surprising we can be, how many good footballers are there, how much speed we can bring into the game with many, many extremely fast players.

"It's the case that we still have options in the current team. [Joshua] Zirkzee is there, [Eric] Choupo-Moting is there, then the young Mathys Tel, who is training incredibly well at the moment. We would also have opportunities there."

Five different players found the net for Julian Nagelsmann's side against Leipzig, including new arrival Sadio Mane, and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic was pleased to see the variety that Bayern displayed.

"You could see that we are extremely dangerous, that we have many fast and dangerous players," he told BILD. "That's the idea.

"Of course, it's a different way of playing. If the boys do what we envision, I think we can spread the goals on many shoulders."

While Salihamidzic stopped short of also ruling out a new striker arriving at the Allianz Arena, he did hint that the club's incomings may be done for this transfer window, adding: "The transfer market runs until August 31, but usually we have completed our planning by then."

Joao Felix scored a late winner and Fred was sent off as Atletico Madrid beat a Manchester United side lacking the goalscoring prowess of Cristiano Ronaldo 1-0 in Oslo.

Ronaldo has been linked with a move to Atleti after making clear his desire to leave United in this transfer window.

The La Liga club have since insisted their business is finished and Ronaldo is due to play for United in Sunday's friendly with Rayo Vallecano.

Saturday's warm-up ahead of the start of the new season next weekend was largely light on incident until the closing stages.

Anthony Martial and Anthony Elanga spurned promising opportunities for the Red Devils in the first half.

Saul Niguez failed to hit the target with a header and Harry Maguire did the same at the other end in the second half.

The game looked destined to end goalless until substitute Joao Felix drilled a low shot beyond David de Gea before Fred was dismissed in injury time for a second bookable offence.

Cristiano Ronaldo has appeared to confirm he will make his return to the Manchester United side for Sunday's friendly with Rayo Vallecano.

The Portugal international has yet to feature in pre-season amid widespread reports he is seeking a move away from Old Trafford, less than a year on from returning to the club.

Further doubts were raised over Ronaldo's future when he was not included as part of United's 21-man travelling party ahead of Saturday's meeting with Atletico Madrid in Oslo.

However, responding to a tweet from a fan page announcing he would not play in either of United's friendlies this weekend, Ronaldo replied: "Sunday, the king plays".

Should he feature against Rayo, it will be the first time Ronaldo has put on the United shirt since the 4-0 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion on May 7.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner sat out the final game of last season through injury and was not present for the Red Devils' four friendlies on their tour of Thailand and Australia.

Ronaldo was back at United's Carrington training base this week for talks, but widespread reports suggest he is still seeking a move to a team competing in the Champions League.

He scored 18 Premier League goals last season – only Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min (both 23) netted more – but United still finished in sixth with their lowest ever points tally.

The 24 goals Ronaldo scored in all competitions in 2021-22 were 14 more than next-best Bruno Fernandes, with no other United player reaching double-figures in a dire season.

Ronaldo was particularly active on social media on Friday, having earlier responded to a post suggesting his agent Jorge Mendes had held talks with United's hierarchy.

"Impossible not to talk about me [for] one day," he wrote. "Otherwise the press makes no money.

"You know that if you don't lie, you can't get people's attention. Keep going that one day you [get] some news right."

Cristiano Ronaldo remains absent from Manchester United's first-team squad a week out from the new Premier League season.

The United number seven was not included in a 21-man group travelling to Oslo for Saturday's friendly against Atletico Madrid.

That news was confirmed by United on Friday, only nine days before their league campaign begins at home to Brighton and Hove Albion.

Ahead of that game, Ronaldo is yet to feature in pre-season amid widespread reports he has asked to be allowed to leave the club.

United failed to secure Champions League football as they finished sixth in Ronaldo's first season back at the club in 2021-22 – as close to Aston Villa in 14th as they were to the top four in terms of points.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner seemingly wants to leave Old Trafford for a second time in order to play in Europe's elite club competition, in which he is the record goalscorer.

Ronaldo was back at United's Carrington training centre this week for talks, but progress on a transfer appears no further forward.

United have insisted they intend to keep Ronaldo, while there are few clear suitors for the 37-year-old.

Atletico are among those who have been linked, and they will face a United side missing Ronaldo but featuring the majority of their other star names.

Lisandro Martinez and Christian Eriksen could each make their United debuts.

There remains the possibility Ronaldo could make his pre-season bow this weekend, as United play Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

"Some of those absent from the squad will take part in Sunday's game against Rayo Vallecano, while others are ill or injured," United said.

Atletico Madrid will not be signing Cristiano Ronaldo and that decision is final, according to club president Enrique Cerezo.

Speaking at the presentation of Nahuel Molina on Friday, Cerezo said the newly recruited Argentina international was "the last piece" of the jigsaw.

That means Diego Simeone's squad is complete as far as Cerezo is concerned.

Molina has joined from Udinese, and Atletico have also brought in the likes of Samuel Lino and Axel Witsel to plump up their ranks after Luis Suarez, Sime Vrsaljko and Hector Herrera moved on.

"With this incorporation our sports directorate has managed to fit the last piece we were looking for," said Cerezo.

"I repeat, for the journalists, with this incorporation our sports directorate has managed to fit the last piece we were looking for."

The emphasis spoke of how Cerezo wants to move on from the links to Ronaldo, after a group of Atletico supporters declared their steadfast opposition to his potential arrival.

Cerezo had already said any deal to bring Ronaldo to Atletico from Manchester United was "practically impossible".

Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo, who is Real Madrid's all-time record scorer, appears to be set on leaving United after the Red Devils failed to qualify for the 2022-23 Champions League.

It has been reported Sporting CP, where Ronaldo launched his career, could be a possible destination for the 37-year-old, who scored 24 goals across all competitions for United last season.

German champions Bayern Munich have ruled themselves out of contention.

Ronaldo and his agent Jorge Mendes were at United's training ground on Tuesday for talks over his future. 

Atletico will face United in a pre-season friendly on Saturday, with Ronaldo highly unlikely to play any part.

Cristiano Ronaldo has laughed off protests by Atletico Madrid supporters over a potential move to the club, as speculation continues to swirl over the Manchester United star's future.

The Portuguese sat out the Premier League club's pre-season tour of the Far East and Australia for family reasons, amid reports he is attempting to secure a departure from Old Trafford just one year into his homecoming. 

Rumours over a move to Atletico have continued to swirl, but a section of their fans have made it clear they are against a move for the former Real Madrid star.

Atletico supporters unfurled a banner stating CR7 NOT WELCOME at their recent pre-season friendly against Numancia.

Ronaldo took to social media to comment on their protests, simply posting a succession of crying emojis to a fan account that posted the image.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner - who is facing a first season without Champions League football since the 2002-03 campaign if he stays with United - also hit out at media coverage about his future.

In another comment beneath an Instagram account reporting on a meeting between agent Jorge Mendes and the United hierarchy - reportedly including Sir Alex Ferguson - the forward suggested such reports are false.

"Impossible not to talk about me [for] one day," Ronaldo wrote. "Otherwise the press makes no money. You know that if you don't lie, you can't get people's attention. Keep going that one day you [get] some news right."

Ronaldo scored 22 goals in all competitions against Atletico during his time with Madrid. Only against Getafe (23) and Sevilla (27) did he find the net more often. He also scored three hat-tricks versus Atletico and tormented them again with another treble for Juventus in the last 16 of the 2018-19 Champions League as the Bianconeri reversed a 2-0 first-leg deficit to progress.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas would like to see Cristiano Ronaldo back in Spain but conceded he was unsure if it was "feasible" for Atletico Madrid to sign the Manchester United star.

Ronaldo is reportedly seeking a move away from United less than a year after returning from Juventus, supposedly because of a lack of Champions League football after the Red Devils' sixth-place finish in the Premier League last season.

The Portugal captain, who scored 24 goals in 38 games in 2021-22, returned to United's training ground on Tuesday having missed the club's pre-season tour of Asia and Australia.

It seems suitors for his services are not as plentiful as anticipated, with Bayern Munich CEO Oliver Kahn appearing to rule out a move, while nothing has yet come of reported interest from United's Premier League rivals Chelsea.

Atletico had also been talked of as a potential destination, though club president Enrique Cerezo described it as "practically impossible".

An Atletico fan group called for the club to rule out signing Ronaldo on Wednesday, with Union Internacional de Penas Atletico de Madrid issuing a statement on the matter saying the forward represents "the antithesis" of the team's values.

Tebas would encourage any move to bring the 37-year-old back to Spain, though, telling reporters: "I would like to see Cristiano Ronaldo in LaLiga again.

"Whether it is feasible or not for Atletico Madrid, I do not know. There would have to be some player departures if they wanted to. To sign a player of that level, you must make room."

Ronaldo spent nine years at Real Madrid between 2009 and 2018 and became the club's record goalscorer, netting 451 times in 438 games for Los Blancos.