Erik ten Hag wants Cristiano Ronaldo to stay at Manchester United beyond this summer
According to The Telegraph (Subscription Required), Erik ten Hag has expressed his desire for Cristiano Ronaldo to stay at Manchester United past this summer transfer window. There were concerns regarding the talisman’s future at the club, but that has been brought to a close following this update.
Ronaldo will see his current contract with Man United expire at the end of the next season. Ten Hag wants the superstar to fulfil his deal and even believes that it would be stupid to let him go this summer. The boss wants the striker to remain a key player in the squad, and he has also planned talks with the attacker.
The Ajax coach is looking to get the best out of Cristiano, and he could even decide to build the team around the forward. However, the centre-forward could be asked to accept a subdued role because of his age. There is an option to extend the attacker’s contract by another year but whether that clause will be triggered or not remains to be seen.
Great decision!
Let’s be real, the Portuguese international is not the player that he was in the past, as his performances have taken a hit for sure. Despite that, he has been one of our top performers this term and has often carried the team at times with his goals.
As such, it is good to know that Ten Hag has asked for the 37-year-old attacker to stay at Carrington for the next season as well. That is especially the case when we are in line to lose the likes of Edinson Cavani, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata for free in the summer transfer window.
Moreover, Anthony Martial is expected to leave after the current campaign, while Marcus Rashford’s future could be away from Theatre of Dreams as well. Hence, losing Ronaldo would have made matters even worse with Mason Greenwood also being suspended at this point.
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That being said, it would be wise for Ronaldo to listen to Ten Hag and take a less prominent role if needed to prolong his stay in top-flight football. That would ensure that he can contribute to our success in the long term, which could open up the path for the one-year extension to be triggered.
In any case, the uncertainty surrounding the former Real Madrid man has been cleared, which in and of itself gives us a sigh of relief. Even if there are plans to sign another centre-forward, this piece of information has assured the supporters of their talisman’s stay moving forward.
