Man Utd facing battle to keep hold of Cristiano Ronaldo this summer with Erik ten Hag’s plans for him up in the air
MANCHESTER UNITED are facing a battle to keep Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford.
The 37-year-old legend is considering a move away after just a year back at the club with the Red Devils’ Champions League qualification hopes over.
The United hierarchy are aware of this but are desperate to keep one of the most marketable names in the game.
Ronaldo signed for two years when he returned this season with the option of a further year.
Much will come down to what incoming boss Erik Ten Hag’s plans are but he has yet to communicate what he wants to do about the Portuguese ace.
Ten Hag does not want to discuss any player plans with the club until he has concluded the Eredivisie title race with Ajax.
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They are four points ahead of PSV Eindhoven with three games to go.
Five-time Champions League winner Ronaldo has divided opinion over his season back at United.
One view has been that his return at the end of August upset Ole Solskjaer’s plans and that there was too much focus on him.
Others will point to his 24 goals and ask where United would have been without him.
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There was certainly no lack of adulation for him on Monday night in the club’s final home game of the season when he scored in a 3-0 win over Brentford.
The chant of ‘Viva Ronaldo’ rang around the ground as he waved to fans on a lap of appreciation by the team.
His comment to the following TV camera saying ‘I’m not finished’ was seen as a sign that he was staying put.
But he has since denied saying that on social media.
Interim boss Ralf Rangnick, who is staying with United in an advisory role, said after the game that he believed the player would stay.
Rangnick said: “I don’t think why it should be a wave of goodbye. He’s got another year of his contract, and as far as I know he will be here next season again.”