Manchester United identify perfect replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo - Reports
Manchester United have identified Portugal striker Goncalo Ramos as a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo, as per Spanish outlet Fichajes.
The 37-year-old entered the final year of his contract at Old Trafford when the season began. He tried to engineer an exit in the summer but nothing materialized.
It took an explosive interview with Piers Morgan to push Manchester United over the line and begin the proceedings of Ronaldo's premature exit. The two parties parted ways last month via mutual consent.
The Portugal icon started only four Premier League games under manager Erik ten Hag but a player of his caliber and ability would definitely leave a void upon his exit. The Red Devils have seemingly earmarked his international teammate to do the job.
Goncalo Ramos has scored more goals in the knockout stages of World Cups than Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ramos, who is with Portugal's No. 7 in manager Fernando Santos' 26-man squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, is a highly-rated striker at Benfica. He has scored nine goals and provided three assists in 11 Liga NOS games this campaign.
The attacker recently made headlines after scoring a hat-trick against Switzerland in the FIFA World Cup quarter-finals. Cristiano Ronaldo was surprisingly left out of the starting XI in Ramos' favor, who made the most of his opportunity.
Following the 6-1 win against the Schweizer Nati, Ramos' stock would have definitely risen. He is said to be valued at around €50 million by the Eagles and has a little over three and a half years left on his deal at the Estadio da Dragao.
Marcus Rashford expected to fill Cristiano Ronaldo void at Manchester United this season
Fans will expect Rashford to fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo at the club. The England international was one of the reasons why the latter was benched so often under Ten Hag. He has started 13 times in the Premier League this campaign.
However, Rashford's future at Manchester United could be up in the air after a recent revelation from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) president Nasser Al-Khalaefi.
Marcus Rashford to PSG? 👀 https://t.co/WiU67yMbBS
He told Sky Sports:
"To have Rashford for free, every club would run after him, definitely. We're not hiding it, we spoke before and… interest. But the moment was not a good moment for both sides. Maybe, summer, why not?"
"Let him focus on the World Cup. Then after in January, hopefully, if we're interested we will talk to him."
Rashford could become a free agent after his current contract with the Old Trafford outfit will expire at the end of the current season.