Even after his vital winner against Everton last week, where he grabbed his 700th club goal, speculation was still rife about the future of Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo. It has certainly not been the start to the campaign that the player would have wanted, but he has shown signs in recent weeks of still being able to have a positive impact on this team.
The Portuguese veteran expressed his desire to leave Old Trafford in the summer, with the Real Madrid legend desperate to play Champions League football. Evidently, a move failed to materialise and the 37-year-old remained at United.
It became quite clear, quite quickly, that the striker was not going to be given a prominent role by manager Erik ten Hag. Ronaldo has started just five games this campaign, with just one of said starts coming in the Premier League. After playing such an important role last term, the frontman will be frustrated by his lack of game time so far.
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Ronaldo, who has scored just two goals this season, is likely to leave United next year. Considering the likelihood of his departure and the injury troubles Anthony Martial is experiencing, United will be looking to strengthen in the forward area next year.
The club have been linked with numerous strikers over the past few years, and some names just never appear to go away - take Joao Felix, for example.
According to reports in Spain, Felix is growing increasingly unsettled at Atletico Madrid and is currently taking steps to try to secure a move away from Spain. As per Marca, his relationship with Diego Simeone reached breaking point when the Argentine left him as an unused substitute in Wednesday's 0-0 draw with Club Brugge.
The 22-year-old, who signed for the LaLiga club for £113million from Benfica in 2019, reportedly 'can't stand' his situation and met with agent Jorge Mendes at a restaurant in Madrid on Thursday night to discuss his future. A Bola suggest that United are 'attentive to the situation', but the Portuguese star has an eye-watering release clause of £304m.
While any chances of a move for the frontman appear slim, it certainly would not come as a surprise if the Reds kept an eye on his developing situation. He would be an enticing option, should Ten Hag believe that he is available for a reasonable price.
Evidently, United are not going to go out and spend £304m on any player, let alone Felix. However, there is a chance that, should Atletico decide they want to part ways with the forward, the two clubs could negotiate a price for the player. Many United supporters would be pleased if a deal was done, but others would question the decision to once again spend big on a player that arrives with no guarantees.
Felix has registered just 29 goals in 122 appearances for Atletico. There is certainly a case to be made that he would improve United, but the move in general would signal the club going back to previous, unsuccessful transfer strategies.
The Reds are no strangers to splashing big on so-called 'big names' without considering how they might actually fit into the side - Angel Di Maria and Paul Pogba spring to mind.
United will need to replace Ronaldo, that is obvious. Yet, the club also needs to ensure that they go about their business in the right way. The additions that Ten Hag has made have all been smart acquisitions and players that solved an issue. Casemiro, for example, arrived at Old Trafford as one of the best holding midfielders in the world and filled a position that the Reds were crying out for.
Although a move for Felix looks unlikely, especially at this moment in time, the Reds need to ensure they have a clear plan in mind if they ever do decide to make a move for the talented Portugal international.
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