Erik ten Hag is keen to persuade Cristiano Ronaldo to stay at Manchester United, and he believes he can build his team around the veteran Portuguese forward this season.
That’s according to Fabrizio Romano in his latest exclusive column for CaughtOffside on Substack, with the Italian reporter providing the latest insight into Ronaldo’s future at Old Trafford.
The Portugal international is yet to report for pre-season training with Man Utd, and Romano admits the player wants to leave Old Trafford, even if family reasons are the main reason behind his current absence.
It remains to be seen if Ronaldo can be won round by Ten Hag, but it’s interesting to note that the former Ajax manager is very keen to work with the 37-year-old.
Despite fans and pundits like questioning if Ronaldo could fit in under Ten Hag, it seems the Dutch tactician wants to build his team around him this season.
“Ten Hag is now waiting to have another talk with Cristiano to try to change his mind,” Romano writes.
“Whatever some people have speculated about how the former Real Madrid man might fit into Ten Hag’s tactics, the truth is he wants at all costs to have him in his team for next year.
“Ten Hag still considers Ronaldo a world class player and he would certainly be the star of his Manchester United team in 2022/2023. The manager believes that Ronaldo can be perfect for his tactical approach.”