Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer threat already leaves…

Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer threat already leaves Erik ten Hag with big Manchester United problem

On Saturday night, The Times reported that Cristiano Ronaldo had informed Manchester United that he wanted to leave this summer. Though reports had emerged over the past few weeks that his agent Jorge Mendes had sounded out potential suitors in Chelsea and Bayern Munich, this was the first clear indication that the club's failure to achieve Champions League football and match the forward's ambitions meant that he wanted to leave.

The Manchester Evening News understands that United still are certain that Ronaldo is not for sale and they fully expect him to be part of Erik ten Hag's squad next season as his contract expires in 2023, but as the Portuguese forward showed at Juventus if he wants to leave he likely will do so the club need to be ready.

With the transfer market in full swing, however, there are limited options available to United. And this could have a severe knock-on effect for the ambitions of Ten Hag this season.

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The ideal scenario would be that Ten Hag would be able to sign a striker who could instantly replace Ronaldo. Given players like Tammy Abraham and Victor Osimhen will be expensive, with both having price tags around the £100m mark, it seems unlikely that United would be able to acquire them this summer.

A stop-gap signing could also be considered, like Moussa Dembele from Lyon, but there are question marks over whether they would improve the squad and also whether they would block any incomings next season if United are unable to move other players on.

So what options does Ten Hag have internally? Aside from delving into the academy and finding a natural number nine in its ranks; Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and even Anthony Elanga have spent some time in the forward position and the manager could look to them for the upcoming season.

Martial's 2020/21 season in the striker position saw him score 23 goals and form a formidable partnership with Rashford, but since then his form has declined at a continuing rate. A change of scenery with a loan to Sevilla also didn't help reignite his career and it seems that Ten Hag will have his work cut out if the Frenchman is his first option to lead the line.

There might be a more reasonable case for Rashford. He had a disastrous 2021/22 campaign but with a full summer of rest and also an entire pre-season to prepare the hope is he can recapture the form that saw him score 21 goals and register 15 assists in the 2020/21 season.

Elanga is an outside shout, but given he is only 20 he is much more mouldable than Ten Hag's other two options. And the Swedish forward showed under Ralf Rangnick that he has the work rate and also the movement that the new manager will be looking for in his attacking line.

It's a difficult decision for Ten Hag to make and one that will likely define at least his first season at Old Trafford. For all the United fans who had to suffer through last season, they will hoping he makes the right choice.

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