Ronaldo breaks silence on Erik ten Hag arrival: Will he stay at Man Utd?

Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo on Friday broke his silence on the imminent arrival of Erik ten Hag, a change many fear could lead to the talismanic striker’s exit from Manchester.

Speaking to the club’s in-house media team, the 37-year-old said that he had been impressed by ten Hag’s exploits at Ajax, but hinted that the Premier League was a different ball game than the Eredivisie.

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“I know that he has done a fantastic job at Ajax, and that he is an experienced coach,” Ronaldo said, adding, “But we have to give him time.”

“Things must change the way he wants. If he does well, all of Manchester United will be successful, so I wish him well. We are all happy and excited, not only as players, but as fans as well. We have to believe that next year we can win titles,” the Portuguese added, remaining coy about his future under ten Hag.

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Ronaldo’s hopes for ten Hag’s success at United, however, should not be mistaken as a desire to remain with the club.

If things indeed “change the way he wants,” United’s talismanic striker may find himself on the bench more often than he would like.

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Known for his fast-paced, high-energy attacking football, ten Hag is likely to bring in young players and revitalise United’s academy as he looks to build a future-proof team instead of relying on seasoned veterans like Ronaldo for stop-gap solutions to United’s woes. Given ten Hag’s proclivities, Ronaldo may not be guaranteed a spot on the team, at least not in the frequency with which he has been selected under Ralf Rangnick, and earlier, under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Further, with United having failed to qualify for Champions League football next season and in no shape to compete against the likes of Manchester City or Liverpool for the Premier League title, Ronaldo maybe eyeing other opportunities to play among Europe’s elite.