Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has cast doubt on the Old Trafford futures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Pogba.
The Red Devils’ all-time top goalscorer went in-depth on his former club’s ongoing struggles during an appearance alongside Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports’ Monday Night Football programme.
In addition to backing former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino over Ajax’s Erik ten Hag in the race to become Ralf Rangnick’s permanent successor, Rooney also covered a number of other topics - including the situations surrounding Harry Maguire and Marcus Rashford - as he was quizzed as to why United have found it so difficult to rediscover past glories in the wake of Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.
Among the issues discussed were the respective futures of Ronaldo and Pogba, with Rooney insisting that the focus now needs to switch to younger players if there is to be an overdue successful rebuild.
Asked if former team-mate Ronaldo had achieved the desired impact following his high-profile return to United last summer, current Derby manager Rooney said: “You’d have to say no, at the minute.
“He’s scored important goals early on in the season in the Champions League and he’s scored the hat-trick against Tottenham but I think if you’re looking towards the future of the club, you have to go with younger, hungry players to lift United over the next two or three years.
“Cristiano is getting on a bit and he’s certainly not the player he was when he was in his 20s and that happens. He’s a goal threat but I think during the rest of the game, they need more.”
Pogba’s United future remains subject to significant ongoing doubt, with his contract due to expire in the summer and no agreement reached over a lucrative extension amid repeated links to the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and former club Juventus.
And Rooney believes a second exit from Old Trafford for the World Cup-winning France midfielder is probably the best solution for all parties.
“I think it’s got to a point where it’s probably better for him to move on. If Paul is honest with himself, he probably hasn’t had the impact he’d have liked since he returned to Manchester United,” Rooney said.
“I watch him for France and he’s a completely different player. The ability, vision and control of the game is always there for France. It hasn’t quite worked at United for him, and there’s a few players they need to let go of.
“There hasn’t been a settled manager there since Sir Alex Ferguson so I think whoever comes in, they need to give them time to build relationships with players.”
