Ronaldo leaves Man U . . .

Cristiano Ronaldo will leave Manchester United ‘‘with immediate effect,’’ the Premier League club confirmed in a statement. The termination of the 37-year-old forward’s contract comes after he conducted an explosive interview in which he criticised manager Erik ten Hag and the club’s owners. It wasn’t immediately clear where he would end up next after failing to secure a move to a Champions League club in the summer. ‘‘I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never ever change. However, it feels like the right time for me to seek a new challenge,’’ Ronaldo said. Ronaldo, who is currently in Qatar with Portugal as he aims to win a first World Cup title for his country, previously made it clear that he wanted a transfer after being reduced to a fringe member of the team this season.