Erik ten Hag has reportedly told Manchester United bosses that Cristiano Ronaldo should never play for the club again.
The Dutchman held a meeting with co-chairman Joel Glazer, chief executive Richard Arnold and football director John Murtough on Monday to discuss the fallout from Ronaldo’s controversial interview with Piers Morgan.
Erik Ten Hag Says Ronaldo Should Never Play For Man United Again
According to ESPN, Ten Hag has postponed his family vacation as a result of Ronaldo’s shocking interview and has asked that the 37-year-old never play for the club again.
As per the report, United learnt about the interview in the hours following their 2-1 win over Fulham on Sunday and are now seeking legal advice on how to handle the situation.
Ronaldo has a contract worth more than £500,000 per week until the end of the season, but there is a sense at Old Trafford that reintegrating the 37-year-old into the team after the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be nearly impossible.
According to ESPN, a number of veteran players are enraged by the timing of the striker’s outburst, with parts of the interview made public only hours after teenager Alejandro Garnacho scored a stoppage-time winner against Fulham.
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However, the relationship has been strained, with Ten Hag disciplining Ronaldo twice since July.
He was fined in July for departing early during a preseason friendly against Rayo Vallecano, and he was fined again in October for refusing to come on as a substitute against Tottenham Hotspur. Ronaldo was ordered to practise alone and was sidelined for the 1-1 draw against Chelsea.
According to reports, Ten Hag believes that a fit and motivated Ronaldo can help his side during the second half of the season, when United hopes to compete in four competitions.
But he has told club officials that he is unwilling to compromise squad unity to accommodate the Portugal international and is willing to let him go even if a replacement cannot be found in the January transfer window.
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