Erik ten Hag has not been Manchester United manager for long, and he is yet to take charge of a single match, but he is already facing his first crisis.
United have jetted out to Thailand for the first leg of their pre-season tour. But rather than be able to fully concentrate on Tuesday’s friendly against Liverpool, he has been forced to address other issues. While Richard Arnold and John Murtough are in Barcelona chasing his dream of signing Frenkie de Jong, Ten Hag has been engulfed by the Cristiano Ronaldo soap opera.
Ronaldo is not with his team-mates out in Bangkok. Officially that is due to “family issues”, but unofficially it is linked to his desire to leave United this summer. Unhelpfully, the 37-year-old has waited until the eve of pre-season to drop the bombshell that he wants to leave and play Champions League football elsewhere and that has put immediate pressure on Ten Hag, who already has plenty on his plate as it is.
Ten Hag addressed the situation publicly for the first time on Monday. “He is not with and that is due to personal issues, but we are planning with Cristiano for this season, so that's it and I am looking forward to working with him,” he said . “I spoke with him before this issue came up. I had a really good conversation with him, but that will stay between me and him. But Cristiano is not for sale.”
Ten Hag said what he had to in order to try and diffuse the situation. But you wonder whether that firm public stance actually reflects United’s thinking behind the scenes. Do they really want to bet the house on Ronaldo? Do they really want an unhappy and disruptive superstar at the forefront of Ten Hag’s brave new era?
It’s pretty easy to imagine what Ronaldo’s body language would look like if he is forced to stay against his will next season. That’s because he spent much of last season with an anguished look on his face and shoulders slumped, even while he was scoring goals.
So, if he wants to leave, is it not worth granting him his wish? Or at least entertaining the idea, considering it might be easier said than done – Ronaldo earns around £500,000 per week at Old Trafford and not many clubs can match his demands, as Jorge Mendes knows full well.
But an update in the European transfer market yesterday should give United’s recruitment chiefs pause for thought. According to the Independent , both Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea are weighing up a move for Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski after doubts arose over Barcelona ’s financial situation.
Bayern have demanded that Barca pay the £42.34million (€50m) transfer fee up front for Lewandowski, because they are concerned the cash-strapped club might not fulfil the kind of staggered payment plan widespread in the industry. That could allow a rival club into the picture, with Lewandowski dead-set on his desire to leave Bavaria this summer.
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Lewandowski is 33 – four years younger than Ronaldo – and has a jaw-dropping goalscoring record in recent seasons at Bayern. He has scored a staggering 344 goals, to go with his 72 assists, in 375 appearances for the German giants. Despite his age, the Polish striker is clearly in the prime of his career. He is still mobile and he offers the all-round game Ronaldo abandoned a long time ago.
After five trophy-less seasons, and with no Champions League football to offer, United have a weak hand when it comes to convincing players to move to Old Trafford. But if they offloaded Ronaldo they would be able to offer high wages and the star role in a young team being rebuilt by Ten Hag.
Speaking on Monday , the Dutchman hinted that attacking additions are on the cards. “Definitely we are searching players in midfield, we have a need and also an offence, and we are still looking for players,” he said. “We want to add the right players. We have a really good squad, we are working to develop our way of playing and the opportunity is there and we will strike.”
The opportunity to swap Ronaldo for Lewandowski could well be there. Ten Hag should insist that his club strikes.
