Manchester United will now be on the lookout for a replacement after they announced that Cristiano Ronaldo will be leaving the club with immediate effect.
In a statement, the club wrote: " Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect. The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford, scoring 145 goals in 346 appearances, and wishes him and his family well for the future.
"Everyone at Manchester United remains focused on continuing the team's progress under Erik ten Hag and working together to deliver success on the pitch." With focus now firmly on matters on the pitch, Erik ten Hag must now look for a replacement for the 37-year-old.
ALSO READ: United save £16m as Ronaldo leaves without pay-off
Here at MEN Sport we have taken a look at some of the potential replacements for the Portuguese striker.
Cody Gakpo
Maybe the most likely replacement for Ronaldo is Gakpo. The PSV Eindhoven man was having conversations with Ten Hag in the summer over a potential move to Old Trafford but it fell through due to the Eredivisie club's desire to keep hold of their man.
Should Gakpo be chosen as the man to replace Ronaldo, he would not be a like-for-like alternative. The 23-year-old is much more of a winger than a centre-forward and his arrival may not solve the striker gap which United now have.
Memphis Depay
A controversial signing would be the arrival of Depay back at Old Trafford. The Barcelona forward is out of contract at the end of the season and has played only three matches all season at Camp Nou due to injury.
It is likely that Depay will be off the books come the end of the campaign whether United go in for him or not so Barca may be willing to strike a cheap deal in January. A redemption story may appeal to the 28-year-old more than it does to Reds supporters.
Victor Osimhen
Probably the most exciting option for United fans is the prospect of now chasing Osimhen from Napoli. MEN Sport understands that the Nigerian is a player of interest for the Reds as they look to strengthen their striker options.
So far this campaign, the 23-year-old has bagged ten goals in 14 appearances for the Italian club. Problems for Ten Hag, should he wish to sign him could be two-fold though.
The forward still has three years on his contract and would thus command a big fee. Meanwhile, Napoli are top of Serie A and are still active in the Champions League.
For these reasons it could be difficult to persuade him away from Italy.
READ NEXT:
