Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has been urged to get Cristiano Ronaldo out of the club as soon as possible by former Liverpool midfielder and pundit Danny Murphy.
The Portugal international has been left on the bench in most games this season, and it’s fair to say it’s not doing the club the world of good to have this saga looming over the whole team.
Ronaldo looked like he might be on his way out in the summer transfer window when he went AWOL from a large chunk of Man Utd’s pre-season, but he ended up staying at Old Trafford.
Ten Hag isn’t using Ronaldo much, however, so Murphy now thinks it would be for the best if the Red Devils simply offloaded him at the next possible opportunity.
“If you keep one of the greatest players of all time, he has to play because otherwise you are left with a superstar who is fuming, and most people would understand why given all he’s achieved,” Murphy wrote in the Daily Mail.
“Even last season he was United’s top scorer and he’ll still believe today he remains the best centre-forward at the club.
“Quite simply, keeping him has given United a problem they don’t need. It would have been more sensible to wipe the slate clean in the summer and let him go.
“Ten Hag must have had an idea of how he wanted his team to play when he arrived at Old Trafford. He would have done his homework on United’s strengths and weaknesses and if Ronaldo didn’t fit the blueprint, let him leave.
“By having him stay merely to sit on the bench or feature in the Europa League, it’s akin to having your cake and eating it. It cannot be a harmonious atmosphere when Ronaldo is in the line of substitutes. “
He added: “I’m not saying Ronaldo has thrown his toys out of the pram but his mere presence as a sidelined player cannot be good for the group.
“When the January transfer window opens there is no point in keeping Ronaldo because the existing issues are only going to get worse. He won’t be a mainstay in Ten Hag’s team and the longer he is left hanging around, unhappy, the more problematic it will be for everyone.”
United fans will likely have mixed feelings about this as Ronaldo remains a world class goal-scorer, finding the back of the net 24 times in all competitions last season, but age does seem to have caught up with him, and it might be for the best if Ten Hag gets the opportunity to build around younger players.