Erik ten Hag is reportedly looking to build his team around Cristiano Ronaldo.
This comes despite all the speculation that Ronaldo is angling for a transfer this summer.
The Red Devils’ failure to secure Champions League football last season, along with United’s floundering in the transfer market, is said to have led to Ronaldo wanting to leave the club.
The striker did not return for pre-season training on Monday when he was expected to, with family reasons cited as to why.
And then, on Thursday, it was reported that Ronaldo had been given permission to miss Manchester United’s pre-season tour, which kicked off on Tuesday afternoon with a clash vs bitter rivals, Liverpool.
Despite this, Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on the situation on Tuesday, stating that Erik ten Hag wants to keep Ronaldo at United and believes he would be the star of his Manchester United team in 2022/23:
“Ten Hag is now waiting to have another talk with Cristiano to try to change his mind,” Romano wrote.
“Whatever some people have speculated about how the former Real Madrid man might fit into Ten Hag’s tactics, the truth is he wants at all costs to have him in his team for next year.
“Ten Hag still considers Ronaldo a world class player and he would certainly be the star of his Manchester United team in 2022/2023. The manager believes that Ronaldo can be perfect for his tactical approach.”
Outside of Ronaldo, Manchester United currently only have Anthony Martial as a natural centre-forward, who has proven in the past he is not really cut out to be a starting forward for a team like United.
The Frenchman is seemingly fighting for his place, however, scoring in United’s shock 4-0 win over Liverpool on Tuesday.