Transfer: Erik ten Hag reveals Manchester United’s set to sign Cristiano Ronaldo’s replacement after meeting with the agent
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has outlined the club’s plan to find a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo. The former Ajax boss has indicated that the Red Devils will go all out to sign a new striker in the January transfer window.
The stance of Manchester United was expected as the club have been left short-chained on the attacking front following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo. While preparing with Portugal for the World Cup in Qatar, the 37-year-old striker had his contract terminated by the club following his infamous interview with Piers Morgan.
Transfer: Erik ten Hag reveals Manchester United’s set to sign Cristiano Ronaldo’s replacement after meeting with the agent
Having kept mute since the proclamations made the former Real Madrid and Juventus star, Erik ten Hag finally broke his silence, admitting that he, indeed, did not want to lose the striker. Speaking to the British media present at United’s winter training camp in Spain, Ten Hag was also asked if United needed to recruit an attacker in January. He responded affirmatively but did not give anything away with regards to who the potential signing will be.
“Yes [we need to sign a new striker], but only when we find the right player,” Ten Hag said. “We do everything in our power. We are doing research on every opportunity and we do everything we can if that opportunity is there to contract them.”
“I cannot give comments on specific players,” he added. “I will never do that. Players have contracts and I respect that but make sure we are working in the background to get the right players in.”
Erik Ten Hag is believed to be a big fan of Portuguese pair Joao Felix and Gonçalo Ramos as well as PSV Eindhoven and the Netherlands star Cody Gakpo. In the case of the latter, a move in the summer was reportedly on the cards but could not materialize as United pulled out at the eleventh hour and rather opted to sign Antony from Ajax. Neverthless, new speculations suggest that the odds are in favor of the 23-year-old Dutch to join the Red Devils.
Before the Netherlands’ elimination from the World Cup, the PSV star revealed that he would consider moving to Old Trafford should Manchester United come calling in the coming months. The forward, who shares the same agent as Ten Hag, left Qatar as one of the competition’s top goalscorers with a tally of four.
