Desperate to spark a revival at Manchester United, Erik ten Hag has revealed whether superstar striker Cristiano Ronaldo will feature next season
Manchester United’s new manager, Erik ten Hag, has spoken about striker Cristiano Ronaldo for the first time since it was announced he had taken over as manager at Old Trafford.
Ronaldo is expected to be the Red Devils’ only forward with Ten Hag’s arrival, with Edinson Cavani out of contract this summer. It’s no secret that the manager will be in search of reinforcements, although he seems to have big plans for Ronaldo.
The striker has scored 18 goals in 30 Premier League games so far this season, although some have questioned whether the 37-year-old would even have a future at the club. There have been suggestions he might be pushing for a move as United would not play in the Champions League next season and instead compete in the Europa League/European Conference League.
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After Ajax’s last game of the season, Ten Hag mentioned his plans for Ronaldo. He said: “From tomorrow I’ll be focusing on United and that’s obviously where I’ll go deep into things
“What I have to say about that is that the detailed analysis has yet to start, I have yet to work with the team but let me be clear there are a lot of good players at United. We have to make them work as a team, but definitely Ronaldo, he’s a giant.”
Despite Ten Hag’s plans to completely transform his United side, the former Real Madrid striker is clearly at the heart of his plans and could be a figure to build his team around in the short term. However, the club have recently been linked with the likes of Harry Kane and Darwin Nunez and neither are of the caliber of players to warm up the bench.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been a key player for Manchester United this season
Ronaldo has also spoken out about Ten Hag and the Portugal captain seems ready to back the Dutchman’s project at Old Trafford. He said: “What I know about him is that he has done a fantastic job for Ajax, that he is an experienced coach. But we have to give him time. Things have to change the way he wants them to.
“Obviously I hope we succeed because if you succeed, the whole of Manchester will succeed too. I wish him the best. We are happy and excited not only as players but also as fans. I wish him all the best and let’s believe we will win trophies next year.”
Ten Hag will also be keen to strengthen his midfield in the summer, especially with so many players leaving before he even arrives. Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata are all leaving the club, with Nemanja Matic likely to leave as well.
West Ham midfielder Declan Rice is among the stars to be linked with a move to United, as is Monaco prospect Aurelien Tchouameni. The club are also believed to be overseeing several Premier League stars, including Southampton’s James Ward Prowse, Brighton’s Yves Bissouma and Wolves’ Ruben Neves, all said to be of interest to the Red Devils.
Source: mirror