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Another mess at Man Utd:

Ronaldo bombshell rocks Ten
Hag's transfer plans
James Robson

Jul 07, 2022 20:03+05:00

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Getty/GOAL

Transfers Cristiano Ronaldo Manchester United

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Cristiano Ronaldo has plunged Manchester United

into a desperate search for a top-class striker in a
shrinking transfer market and with time against
them.

That is the most tangible damage caused by his

decision to leave just a year a!er his emotional
return to Old Tra"ord.

There are, of course, bigger questions about the

reputational hit to United.

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A!er all, Ronaldo is convinced he cannot win major

honours with them – and that is not a good look for
any club that considers itself among the biggest in
the world.

However, the immediate concern for Erik ten Hag is

the sudden change to his summer recruitment
strategy.

While United are adamant Ronaldo is not for sale,

the expectation is that he will secure a move,
meaning Ten Hag will have to bring forward his plans
to introduce a new focal point for his attack.

The Dutchman knew this moment was coming –

Ronaldo is 37 and does not suit the pressing football
he intends to implement. He just hoped he could put
it o" for a while.

An out-and-out replacement for last season’s leading

goal-scorer was set to be delayed until next summer
– January at the earliest – a!er missing out on first
choice, Darwin Nunez.

Ronaldo is not at training for a third

straight day.
United still don’t know if he plans to join
them on tour #mufc

— James Robson (@jamesalanrobson) July 6,

2022

The Uruguayan was identified by Ten Hag and

football director John Murtough before it quickly
became clear he favoured a move to Liverpool.

Since then, United have focused their attention on

more versatile forwards, with Ajax winger, Antony,
their preferred target during this window.

While chief executive, Richard Arnold, insists the

money is there for his new manager’s plans – a
prolific goal-scorer will cost upwards of £70 million
($83m) at a time when United are already advanced
in terms of the bulk of their business.

Tyrell Malacia has completed his £13m ($16m) move

from Feyenoord. Christian Eriksen has agreed a
three-year deal as a free agent, and will be among
the highest earners in the squad.

Frenkie de Jong would cost £55m ($66m) up front if

Barcelona belatedly agree to let him leave; Lisandro
Martinez around £40m ($48m).

Antony has been valued as high as £69m – but

United expect to be able to drive that figure down.

Either way, it does not leave a lot of room to move

for the type of striker capable of leading the attack of
one of Europe’s elite clubs.

Even if United have been le! behind in the battle at

the top in the Premier League – any transfers made
this summer are designed to return them to
contention for the biggest prizes.

That leaves them in the curious position of losing

their star player because they cannot match his
ambitions – while having to pay premium rates for
the type of quality required to replace him.

Their situation has hardly been helped by the timing

of Ronaldo’s bombshell.

Nunez has gone. Premier League-proven forwards in

Gabriel Jesus and Richarlison have also moved to
top four rivals Arsenal and Tottenham, while Raheem
Sterling is set to join Chelsea.

Add to that Erling Haaland’s move to Manchester

City and United are watching on as the five teams
that finished above them last season add to their
attacks.

That, of course, feeds into Ronaldo’s frustrations and

concerns.

Arsenal have their new No.9

pic.twitter.com/G0uneCD5ca

— GOAL (@goal) July 4, 2022

He has serious doubts about United’s ability to

secure top four next season, let alone compete for
the title.

Last season was evidence that even his enduring

brilliance is not enough to turn them around.

He scored more Premier League goals than Harry

Kane and Sadio Mane, 17, just five fewer than joint
Golden Boot-winners Son Heung-Min and Mo Salah,
in less appearances, yet United finished 13 points
adri! of fourth-placed Spurs. Bruno Fernandes was
the only other United player to reach double figures,
with 10.

It is clear Ten Hag needs to address the number of

goals in his squad – and, with or without Ronaldo,
part of the solution will have to come from within.

Marcus Rashford is re-energised and needs a big

season – preferably in a settled role on the le!.
Likewise, Jadon Sancho – last summer’s star signing
until Ronaldo’s arrival.

Fernandes was as ine"ective as he has been in a

United shirt last term – while Eriksen will add goals
directly, as well as through assists for others.

Ten Hag was already weighing up whether to

become the latest manager to try to get a tune out of
Anthony Martial.

He has been given pre-season to impress Ten Hag –

but his future is in even more limbo now, with United
unlikely to sanction a move until they know for
certain what is happening with Ronaldo.

As well as cost, United’s main issue is a lack of

realistic options.

It could be asked how they could be in a position

where they are short of targets, given the vast
amounts of money spent on a scouting system that
has been drastically overhauled in recent years.

But it takes a certain profile of player to thrive at a

club the size of United, while there is a general
shortage of top-class centre forwards.

Cristiano Ronaldo's next club will be

______________
pic.twitter.com/NeIkPMR8Vg

— GOAL (@goal) July 2, 2022

Just last year, City pursued a then-36-year-old

Ronaldo because of their failure to land their leading
target, Harry Kane.

Bayern Munich have signed 30-year-old Sadio Mane,

while Barcelona are chasing Robert Lewandowski,
who will be 34 in August.

The Catalan giants also signed 33-year-old Pierre-

Emerick Aubameyang in February. Karim Benzema,
at 34, is still leading Real Madrid’s line.

There is not a conveyor belt of emerging high-class

centre forwards – which is why Haaland is such an
outlier.

Richarlison was on United’s radar when Ole Gunnar

Solskjaer was in charge.

Liverpool’s move for Nunez was swi!, with Jurgen

Klopp only wowed by him a!er scouting reports
ahead of the Champions League tie with Benfica last
season.

Whereas United have been criticised for how slow

they were in formalising their interest, Liverpool
were decisive and it is easy to see why, considering
the shortage of alternatives on the market.

Kane has long-been a dream target for United – and

they were considered one of the few viable
contenders for the England captain this summer.

But Spurs’ transformation under Antonio Conte and

qualification for the Champions League ahead of
United, makes any move highly unlikely – not least
because Kane is now open to signing a new contract.

United, along with the majority of Europe’s big clubs,

admire RB Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku, who has
just signed a new deal with the German club.

Paulo Dybala is a free agent a!er leaving Juventus

and is a player liked by United – and would appear to
be one of the more viable options – but there has
been little indication of the Argentina forward being
in Ten Hag’s thoughts.

Cristiano Ronaldo has told Manchester

United that he does not believe they will
be in contention for the title next season
pic.twitter.com/n2EReEatWs

— GOAL (@goal) July 2, 2022

Neymar is another possibility amid doubts about his

Paris Saint-Germain future.

Both Dybala and Neymar would represent huge

financial commitments from United when neither
were among Ten Hag’s initial targets this summer.

While United will have to be agile to replace Ronaldo

at such late notice, they need to be certain about a
signing of such significance.

There has been a lot of short-termism when it comes

to the point of their attack, with high hopes that
Mason Greenwood would establish himself as a
world-class goal-scorer.

Their three most recent striker signings were last-

ditch moves for Odion Ighalo, Edinson Cavani and
Ronaldo.

By comparison, Klopp has evolved his front three of

Salah, Mane and Roberto Firmino with the signings
of Nunez, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota before entirely
breaking up his attack.

Article continues below

It is the type of foresight that has been lacking at

United over a period of constant flux and changing
managers.

Now, this latest mess has plunged their new

manager into a position of desperation, barely
weeks into the job.

How he responds could be very instructive as to how

the Ten Hag era will play out...

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