Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is finally ready to take the bold step, of letting Cristiano Ronaldo leave the club this summer, according to The Times. Ronaldo has long put in a transfer request but the Red Devils, and Ten Hag were reluctant from accepting it. While the manager had reiterated that Ronaldo is in his plans for the new season, he now wants the forward to be sold in order to address more grave issues.
United are off to a crashing start to their new season under Ten Hag, losing their first two league games to Brighton and Brentford with a goal difference of one scored to 6 conceded. Ten Hag has been unable to bring in a new lot of players given every other transfer target of theirs is running miles away from them. The Dutchman now wants to get over the Ronaldo saga so as to concentrate on bringing in new blood into the team.
Ten Hag frustrated over Cristiano Ronaldo’s behaviour and conduct at the club
According to multiple reports, Ten Hag has been infuriated by Cristiano Ronaldo’s latest antics at the club. The 37-year-old wants to leave United for a Champions League club and has even conveyed the same to Ten Hag face-to-face. However, with both the manager and club unwilling to sell him, Ronaldo has cut frustrating figure at Old Trafford.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner displayed his utter disappointment and anger at the club’s situation post the Brentford thrashing as the Bees ran riot against the Devils. Brentford put four past United without any retaliation from an attack led by Cristiano. The full-time whistle saw the Portugal captain hang his head low and disappear down the tunnel, without shaking his manager Ten Hag’s hand.
Ronaldo furiously walked past Ten Hag who stood still on the sideline after the debacle. The behaviour has reportedly angered Ten Hag who now feels Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be an asset in his project to rebuild this shambolic United team. Moreover, this is not the first time the former Real Madrid player has done something like this.
During United’s preseason friendly against Rayo Vallecano, where Cristiano Ronaldo featured for the first time since deciding to leave the club, he left 10 minutes before the full time whistle after being subbed-off in the second half. Ten Hag was irked by the forward’s this conduct as he didn’t even wait for the post-match briefing by the Dutchman.
Ten Hag has now made his mind to get over all this and focus on bringing new players to the club. While Chelsea and Atletico Madrid are reportedly waiting in the wings to snap up the United forward, the final decision over letting him quit Old Trafford is believed to be in the hands of the club’s owners.
Nonetheless, the United manager is expected to completed at least three signings before the transfer window shuts on September 1. While Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot is heavily linked with a switch to United, Ten Hag wants a striker as well irrespective of Ronaldo’s future at the club.