Roy Keane believes Cristiano Ronaldo 'won’t hang around’ if Erik ten Hag doesn't guarantee him regular football next season but that isn't out of the question given his current dominance.
Ralf Rangnick revealed the Portugal star hasn't talked to the incoming Old Trafford boss about his future at the club and a decision has not been made on whether he will be a part of the Dutchman's plans.
There are expected to be wholesale changes at the club this summer as Ten Hag's rebuild gets underway and it remains to be seen if Ronaldo is willing to buy into his project.
Ronaldo might be put off by the fact they will be without Champions League football next season but regardless he will be wanting to play week in, week out as he continues to deliver at the age of 37.
Ronaldo came to United’s rescue yet again on Thursday night, scoring an equaliser against the run of play to earn a 1-1 draw against Chelsea - his eighth in his last five appearances in the Premier League. That brings his tally in all competitions to 23, with 17 of those coming in England's top flight.
And Keane reckons there is no chance he stays at Old Trafford unless he is playing regular first-team football.
“I think Ten Hag will have been watching tonight and will have had a sleepless night watching that team,” Keane told Sky Sports. “But I think if you’ve got a player in your group that can score that amount of goals, they have to be involved.
“Now, Ronaldo will want to play week in and week out and that will be the problem. The new manager comes in and whether he’ll be looking for another striker.
“But Ronaldo won’t be hanging around unless he’s playing week in and week out. He won’t mind being rested for the odd League Cup game or a European game if they’re already through, but we saw his disappointment going back a few months, whether it was Chelsea and then City…and the injuries started popping up.
“I think he wants to play week in and week out and that will be the problem for the manager because he’s probably looking and going ‘I’ll probably have to rotate you in certain games’.”
If Ten Hag decides to meet Ronaldo's conditions, it will dictate how the rest of his side looks. Here's how United's line-up could look if Ronaldo remains in Manchester for one more year.
Goalkeeper/Defence
Manchester United's issues in defence have been well-documented and will be a priority whether Ronaldo stays or goes. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire's position is in jeopardy and the likes of Jurrien Timber - who has previously worked under Ten Hag - and Diogo Dalot could take their spots next season. David de Gea, Luke Shaw and Raphael Varane are likely to be an integral part of the new manager's plans.
Midfield
Paul Pogba's inevitable departure means there could be multiple additions in the middle of the park an area that has been plagued with problems dating back to last year. Scott McTominay will keep his place at the 'six' with Aurelien Tchouameni a more realistic and cheaper alternative to Declan Rice. Bruno Fernandes will complete the midfield and operate further up the pitch to utilise his attacking threat.
Attack
Cristiano Ronaldo's inclusion in the line-up next season could determine whether a new striker such as Darwin Nunez would get regular minutes or not. Ronaldo's best position is undoubtedly through the middle and since he doesn't have the pace to operate as a winger nowadays, it's unlikely Ten Hag would shuffle him out wide to accommodate another player. He would be used as a no.9 with Jadon Sancho and Antony, another player Ten Hag is familiar with, deployed on the wings.
Possible Man Utd XI under Ten Hag with Ronaldo: David de Gea, Diogo Dalot, Raphael Varane, Jurrien Timber, Luke Shaw, Scott McTominay, Aurelien Tchouameni, Bruno Fernandes, Jadon Sancho, Antony, Cristiano Ronaldo.
