Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly concerned over Manchester United's ponderous approach in the transfer market - and could leave the club if the Old Trafford hierarchy fail to back Erik ten Hag with new signings.
Ten Hag is seeking to remould United's beleaguered playing squad now that he is officially at the helm, but the Dutchman has already suffered numerous setbacks in his bid to bring in new recruits. United have been chasing a deal for Frenkie de Jong for weeks, while Ajax defender Jurrien Timber doesn't appear to be keen on reuniting with his old boss in the Premier League.
With United in desperate need of fresh faces, there has understandably been some concern at the lack of transfer activity amongst fans - and it appears that Ronaldo is also fretting about the lack of movement in recent weeks.
According to a new report from AS, the 37-year-old is 'worried' about United's current approach in the transfer market. The club have failed to get any signings over the line since the transfer window opened earlier this month, while their rivals at the top of the Premier League, such as Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham and Arsenal, have all made moves to strengthen their squad in recent weeks.
Ronaldo returned to the club intent on winning trophies and was 'determined' to see out the initial two-year deal he penned last summer, but the former Real Madrid and Juventus man also wants to challenge for titles in his final years at the top level and could yet seek an exit if United fail to adequately strengthen their squad.
It may have been a season to forget for United last year, but the return of Ronaldo was one of the few positives to have emerged from the 2021/22 campaign. The Portuguese megastar made a huge impact at Old Trafford and plundered 24 goals in 39 games - although he was unable to fire United to a top-four finish.
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Losing Ronaldo - and missing out on some first-choice transfer targets - would be a nightmare scenario for Ten Hag to contend with as he bids to improve United's fortunes on and off the pitch.
The former Ajax coach arrives in Manchester off the back of guiding the Dutch giants to three Eredivisie titles in four years - but getting United back into the upper echelons of the Premier League will be a huge challenge.
United endured their worst-ever season in the Premier League era last term and are set to lose a host of experienced players, such as Paul Pogba, Juan Mata and Edinson Cavani at the end of this month, so the onus is on the club to get moving in the transfer market.
