The first was the more expected of the two, the confirmation of Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from the club. 

After his bombshell interview with Piers Morgan in which Ronaldo said he 'didn't respect' manager Erik Ten Hag and was critical of several aspects of the club and how it's been ran by owners the Glazer family. 

There were also swipes at ex teammates Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney as exerts from the interview were put out over several days before the full interview aired last week.

It was evident that Ronaldo no longer wanted to be at Old Trafford and had no expectation of playing for the club again, and allowing him to leave 'by mutual agreement' allows both parties to walk away as amicably as still possible.

Later in the evening the club released another, slighly lengthier statement in which it outlined the intentions of the Board to 'explore strategic alternatives' for the club.

Executive Co-Chairmen and Directors, Avram Glazer and Joel Glazer said: “The strength of Manchester United rests on the passion and loyalty of our global community of 1.1 billion fans and followers. 

As we seek to continue building on the Club’s history of success, the Board has authorized a thorough evaluation of strategic alternatives. We will evaluate all options to ensure that we best serve our fans and that Manchester United maximizes the significant growth opportunities available to the Club today and in the future. 

Throughout this process we will remain fully focused on serving the best interests of our fans, shareholders, and various stakeholders.”