Manchester United to revamp training facilities following public outburst from former star Cristiano Ronaldo - Reports
According to the Mirror, Manchester United are taking significant steps to upgrade their Carrington training base, following criticism from former superstar player Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese forward was highly critical of the club's facilities, which he felt were below the standards of modern football, upon his return to Manchester in 2020.
In his bombshell interview with Piers Morgan, the 38-year-old stated (via Mirror):
"The progress was zero. Since Sir Alex left, I saw no evolution in the club. Nothing had changed. He [Ferguson] knows better than anybody that the club is not on the path they deserve to be. He knows. Everyone knows. The people who donโt see thatโฆ itโs because they donโt want to see. They are blind."
Following Cristiano Ronaldo's comments, the club made the decision to terminate his contract. However, it also seems that they have taken his words to heart and decided to make a major investment in their training ground, with a focus on improving the players' wellness and comfort.
Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United in action during a team training session at Carrington Training Ground on September 28, 2021 in Manchester, England. https://t.co/ZzBySi6J4m
Manchester United have appointed KSS to spearhead the long-term redevelopment of their Carrington training base. They have also brought on Mads Mernagh, who was instrumental in the construction of Leicester City's award-winning training ground, as the program director for the project.
The Leicester City training ground has since become the benchmark for state-of-the-art training facilities in the Premier League.
@Cristiano 
@RaphaelVarane 
๐ต๐น @Cristiano
๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ณ๓ ฃ๓ ด๓ ฟ @McTominay10
๐ซ๐ท @RaphaelVarane
Back in training at Carrington โ๐ด
#MUFC | #ARSMUN https://t.co/ZGgDCupfL9
To further improve the Carrington training base, United have proposed plans to build an accommodation block for players and staff to stay on-site. Aside from Cristiano Ronaldo's words, these plans follow their recent investment in the swimming pool last summer.
Whether or not these plans come to fruition will likely be determined by the club's ownership situation. Current owners, the Glazers, are looking to either find a major investor or to completely sell the club in the near future.
Manchester United legend Gary Neville has also echoed Cristiano Ronaldo's words in the past
Former Red Devils player Gary Neville has long been an outspoken critic of the Glazer family, citing their lack of investment in the club's training base and Old Trafford stadium. Similar to Cristiano Ronaldo, the United legend said (via Mirror):
"In 20 years, Manchester United have not invested in the stadium, and they've not invested in the training ground that much. It's a club that's really struggling and I've said in the last couple of years that the only thing I think can change it now is the ownership. There is an embedded rot at the club."
He continued, revealing how much the rebuild would cost:
"They've still not dealt with the football operation; they've still not dealt with the player and recruitment department; they've still not dealt with the stadium which is rusting and needs massive money spent on it. Manchester United need a billion pounds in this next two-three years to either rebuild or renovate that stadium."