Manchester United’s termination of Portugal striker Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract may be the best thing to happen in Erik ten Hag’s first season in charge at Old Trafford, according to journalist Dean Jones.
The Red Devils announced on Tuesday evening that the player and the club had agreed to a mutual termination of the contract with immediate effect.
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What’s the latest with Ronaldo?
Ronaldo is currently on World Cup duty with Portugal in Qatar, after a whirlwind couple of weeks following an explosive interview with Piers Morgan.
In the interview, he criticized multiple aspects of the club, including the ownership and management of Erik ten Hag, leaving his position at the club looking untenable after the World Cup comes to a conclusion.
Manchester United will now look to move on and overcome the incident when the team gather for their Carabao Cup tie with Burnley on December 21, while Ronaldo will hope to land a new club at the start of the year .
But Jones believes the incident could be the catalyst that unites everyone at the club and allows them to continue in both the Premier League and cup competitions.
What has Jones said about Manchester United?
Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “The announcement has come quickly and this is great news for Man Utd fans as there is no doubt that the club are now looking to fill Ronaldo’s place as soon as the January window
“It’s a very messy finish, but it could be the best thing to happen to his season.
“It could be a catalyst that brings everyone together.”
Who could replace Ronaldo?
The most exciting name linked with a move to Old Trafford is that of Paris Saint-Germain and France forward Kylian Mbappé, who is rumored to be looking to leave the Ligue 1 club in January, despite only signing a new deal with the club in May this year, according to The Mirror, although a £150m bid would likely be needed to secure his services.
The same outlet also suggest that Napoli and Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen could also be an option for the Red Devils, with the Serie A club expecting multiple £60m bids for the 23-year-old in January .
Former forward Memphis Depay could be on the Old Trafford club’s radar, with the Dutch star admitting he is not sure where his future lies after being somewhat sidelined for Barcelona this season.
And according to CalcioMercato sources (via The Sun), the 28-year-old’s Dutch team-mate Cody Gakpo has also become a target for the ten Hag outfit, but the club will face competition from the Premier League for his signing in the form of Arsenal. Leeds United, Liverpool, Southampton and West Ham United.
So it looks like Ronaldo’s departure from Old Trafford could pave the way for United to bring in another forward, in a move that Ten Hag will hope transforms the club’s season, with a top-four finish in the The Premier League and a trophy must be realistic goals heading into the second half of the campaign.
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Source: Man Utd ‘looking to replace Ronaldo in January’ at Old Trafford
