Erik ten Hag’s verdict on Cristiano Ronaldo as Man Utd ‘reach internal agreement’

According to rumors, Manchester United CEO Richard Arnold is allied with Ralf Rangnick in his desire to select Erik ten Hag as the club’s next manager. Mauricio Pochettino has long been tipped to join Manchester United. Nonetheless, it looks that Ajax’s current manager has internal support.

 

Manchester United is unlikely to appoint Rangnick as manager on a permanent basis.

 

So far, the results have been mixed under the German, with the Red Devils falling farther behind in the race to qualify for next season’s Champions League.

 

According to The Sun, both Rangnick and incoming United CEO Arnold are interested in recruiting Ajax manager Ten Hag.

 

Since taking over in 2017, the Dutchman has done well at Amsterdam, assisting in the club’s re-emergence as an Eredivisie powerhouse.

 

And it will be interesting to see what happens with Ronaldo if Ten Hag does move to the Premier League at the end of the season.

 

Some speculate that the ex-Bayern Munich coach will try to transfer the 37-year-old since he prefers to work with young players.

 

Ten Hag’s words, however, indicate that this is not the case.

 

Ajax manager Mark van Bommel stated in 2019 that the veteran was one of the “greatest” players in the world ahead of a Champions League match against Juventus.

 

“I think it would be great if Ronaldo played,” Ten Hag commented at the time.

 

“We want to compete against the best opponent possible. That’s a challenge, and we enjoy taking on new ones.

 

“It’s amazing to be able to compete with a guy like Ronaldo.””

 

Ten Hag may try to maintain Ronaldo if he is appointed as the future manager of Manchester United.

 

However, there is no certainty that the Portugal international would stay, especially if they fail to qualify for the Champions League next season.

 

United is now fifth in the table, behind West Ham on goal difference.

 

And they could slide further farther down the table if top-four rivals Arsenal and Tottenham win their games in hand.

 

Throughout his glittering career, Ronaldo has never played in the Europa League or the UEFA Conference League.

 

So there’s a chance he’ll try to leave, with reports linking him to Paris Saint-Germain despite the uncertainty surrounding Kylian Mbappe’s future.

 

Ronaldo, on the other hand, could be persuaded to stay.

 

Leaving United after only a year, after previously electrifying the Red Devils during his first tenure at the club, would almost be an admission that the task is too great.

 

Ronaldo will not want people to remember his time at Manchester United for the wrong reasons.

 

And the opportunity to work under Ten Hag, one of the world’s most regarded coaches, may be enticing enough to keep him.

 

Meanwhile, former Sky Sports anchor Richard Keys recently chastised Ronaldo for storming down the tunnel after a 1-1 tie with Burnley.

 

“It was reported this week that Jorge Mendes was speaking with senior Manchester United executives about the prospect of Ronaldo leaving in the summer,” Keys said on beIN SPORTS.

 

“My own take on it is that I’d encourage him to go now, as I’ve been saying all season.”

 

“I believe he is a component of the problem, not the entire problem, but as much a part of the problem as anything or anyone else.”

 

“The other night when he went sprinting to the tunnel at the conclusion of the game at Turf Moor, having lately lectured everybody about being the leader he considers himself to be and that youths don’t do the sort of things that he does, how does it inspire team spirit in the dressing room>”

 

“That’s good,” he continued, “then go and sign for Bournemouth and you’ll play every week.”