Teddy Sheringham says he would have sold Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer if he was Manchester United boss.
The superstar handed in a transfer request during the close-season but dwindling options elsewhere saw him stay at Old Trafford. In recent weeks, he has enjoyed more game time due to persistent injuries to first-choice striker Anthony Martial.
But Ronaldo has been benched six times this season and failed to feature in the Manchester derby. All the while, United fans have called for Erik ten Hag to recruit a long-term centre-forward with Ronaldo’s contract expiring in June and Martial becoming unreliable.
READ MORE: Man United drop Cristiano Ronaldo from squad vs Chelsea
Some believe he should have let Ronaldo go before deadline day, although the Dutchman was insistent that the 37-year-old remained a part of his plans. Sheringham says he would have liked to see Ronaldo leave and United bring in a “proper centre-forward” replacement to build around.
Speaking to Gambling.com, he said: “I think Ronaldo has kind of got his head around the fact that he’s staying and the vibes don’t seem to be as bad anymore.
“When you have an absolute superstar in your camp it can affect a lot of other players, so I would have just said to him in the summer that he’s allowed to leave and built my team around a proper centre-forward instead, as well as the younger players he’s got.”
Ronaldo netted his 700th career goal against Everton earlier this month to open his Premier League account for the season - his first strike from open play this term.
READ NEXT:
