Erik ten Hag refuses to guarantee Cristiano Ronaldo will remain at Man Utd
By Tom Gott
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has refused to guarantee that Cristiano Ronaldo will remain at the club beyond the end of the summer transfer window.
Ronaldo has asked to leave Old Trafford this summer in search of Champions League football and has largely operated as a substitute under Ten Hag, coming off the bench for the third time this season in Saturday's 1-0 win over Southampton.
After the game, Ten Hag was asked whether Ronaldo would still be a United player next month, and the boss admitted he could not guarantee anything.
“I cannot say that [Ronaldo will definitely stay]," Ten Hag told BT Sport. "We plan with him and we stick to the plan.
“If a good player is available, we will strike because we want to strengthen the squad. We will be alert until the last second of the window.”
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Interest in Ronaldo has been limited, with Chelsea, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid all distancing themselves from the 37-year-old, but 90min understands that former employers Sporting CP are exploring a possible move.
Financial terms present a massive obstacle, however, forcing the Portuguese side to consider all options and sources have confirmed that Ronaldo could be offered a stake in his boyhood club to help get a deal over the line.
With an agreement looking incredibly complicated, Sporting manager Ruben Amorim has confessed that Ronaldo looks likely to remain at Old Trafford beyond this summer.
"Ronaldo is a Manchester United player and I think he will continue to be," the Sporting boss said on Saturday evening.