Incoming Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has been told not to show Cristiano Ronaldo the door this summer as he prepares to trim the deadwood from the squad.
Alongside the numerous players set to leave Old Trafford at the end of their deals in the close-season, the Dutch coach is expected to offload a number of contracted players too. Several reports had previously speculated that Ronaldo could be among the exits, though recent comments have quashed those concerns.
The Portugal captain — who looks likely to miss the trip to Crystal Palace on Sunday (today) — has been touted by some as the reason for United’s lack of cohesion this season, despite his 24 goals. But ex-Liverpool and Manchester City midfielder Steve McManaman seemingly disagrees and instead argued that Ronaldo could have a positive impact on youngsters involved in Ten Hag’s overhaul.
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“I think Cristiano will stay,” McManaman told horseracing.net. “He’s still had a good season, scoring plenty of goals and Manchester United are already going to lose a lot of players as it is.
“Erik ten Hag has got a very difficult job on his hands. He’s got to get a grip of the dressing room, sort it out, try and get some leaders in there and keep everybody happy.
“I don’t think getting rid of Cristiano when he’s got a year left on his contract is necessary, as you may as well have him round the place considering the amount of goals he scores and the experience he has. He could be a good influence for all the young players around the camp.”
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