5 players who can replace Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United
Cristiano Ronaldo has told Manchester United he wants to leave the club this summer, according to reports. The 37-year-old is miffed with the lack of ambition shown by United this summer transfer window and wants to move to a club where he can fight for trophies.
#Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo told Man United he wants to leave this summer as he wants to see more ambition. Man Utd are still hopeful of keeping CR7, but aware of decision. 🚨🇵🇹 #Ronaldo
Cristiano has no agreement with any other club. Mendes explored options for weeks and will continue. https://t.co/VRji13zrz0
Manchester United finished sixth in the Premier League last season and won't be featuring in the UEFA Champions League in the upcoming campaign. That in itself is a huge turn off for Ronaldo, who has won the competition five times.
Ronaldo is walking into the twilight of his career and naturally, he wants to go out on a high. However, the way things stand, it does not seem possible with Manchester United. The club might want to cash in on Ronaldo if he intends to leave and replace him with another world-class player.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five players who can replace Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United.
#5 Victor Osimhen
David Ornstein of The Athletic claims that Napoli are among the clubs that have registered an interest in Ronaldo. The Partenopei already have a very good striker in Victor Osimhen.
The 23-year-old's involvement was limited in the 2021-22 season due to injuries and that did have an adverse effect on Napoli's title challenge last term. In 32 appearances across all competitions, he still managed to score 18 goals and provide six assists.
They will be hoping to have a long run in the Champions League this season and as such, signing Ronaldo is an exciting prospect for them right now.
Osimhen has been linked (via Manchester Evening News) to Manchester United this summer. The Red Devils could even look to pull off a swap deal for Osimhen with Ronaldo heading to Naples.
#4 Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich)
According to The Sun (via The Metro), Manchester United are interested in signing Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry as a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo. Gnabry has reportedly turned down a £200,000-a-week contract at Bayern Munich.
After rejecting the new contract proposal, Gnabry has been linked with an exit. In addition to Manchester United, Manchester City are also reportedly interested in the Germany international. In 45 appearances across all competitions for Bayern Munich in the 2021-22 season, Gnabry scored 17 goals and provided 10 assists.
As per reports, Bayern Munich are ready to consider offers in the ballpark of £35 million for Gnabry.
#3 Antony (Ajax)
Manchester United have been looking to bolster their attacking department since the beginning of the summer transfer window. Now that Ronaldo has revealed his desire to leave the club, it has become a matter of priority.
According to The Mirror, new Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is urging the board to greenlight the signing of Ajax winger Antony. The young Brazilian thrived under Ten Hag at Ajax and is widely considered to be one of the most exciting attackers in Europe.
In the 2021-22 season, Antony scored 12 goals and provided 12 assists in 33 appearances across all competitions for the Eredivisie outfit. However, Ajax won't let Antony leave for cheap and are holding out for £70 million, as per ESPN.
#2 Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
With just one year remaining on his current contract with Bayern Munich, Robert Lewandowski has made no secret of his intention to leave the club this summer. He has been heavily linked with Barcelona but the Bavarians have been playing hardball and are keen to keep the Polish striker for another year.
Fabrizio Romano claims that Bayern Munich had turned down the opportunity to sign Ronaldo earlier this summer, saying they don't want to rope in a 37-year-old player. However, their stance could change if Lewandowski does end up switching club in the summer.
Manchester United could be a great destination for Lewandowski, but the lack of Champions League football could act as a major impediment.
🎙️ @FabrizioRomano: "The last contact between Bayern and Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes was 7-10 days ago, with Bayern saying: 'no, we're not signing a 37-year old player' - Now maybe things could change. Let's see what happens if Lewandowski leaves to join Barcelona" https://t.co/hDFIw9qMAJ
#1 Neymar Jr. (Paris Saint-Germain)
Paris Saint-Germain are surprisingly ready to sell Neymar Jr. this summer for the right price. They had signed Neymar from Barcelona in the summer of 2017 on a world-record deal worth £197 million. According to reports, Neymar's agents have reportedly contacted the Red Devils over a potential move this summer.
The Brazilian is a world-class forward and could be a great addition to Manchester United. However, since he is contracted to PSG until 2027, he is likely to cost the Red Devils a fortune. It could be a sensational signing as Neymar could definitely play a few more seasons at the highest level.
Manchester United have yet to really consider a move for Neymar. But that could change if Ronaldo does indeed leave the club this summer.
Neymar is considering leaving PSG this summer, after finding out the club are happy for him to depart, sources have told ESPN. https://t.co/FaTQXopKH2