Revealed: Man Utd’s plan if Ronaldo leaves in January

Robin Bairner

• 24 Oct 2022 10:51 BST
• 3 min read

Manchester United are braced for Cristiano Ronaldo to leave the club in January, with the Portugal international widely expected to depart if a suitable offer comes in.

Exit talk has been ramped up over recent days following Ronaldo storming off during his side’s 2-0 victory over Tottenham in the Premier League last Wednesday. United issued a swift response, indicating that he would not be involved in the subsequent match against Chelsea, in which the Red Devils pinched a 1-1 draw.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, faces the prospect of being frozen out of action ahead of the World Cup and faces crunch talks with Ten Hag over his future.

MORE: Cristiano Ronaldo transfer news LIVE

Man Utd are drawing up a contingency plan in case the striker does leave in January.

The Athletic reports that the Old Trafford club have a straightforward solution to the Ronaldo issue if a transfer is secured or if he is released on a free – something that has not been entirely discounted at this stage.

Man Utd are not planning on replacing Ronaldo during the January window, it is stated. There is a caveat in that they could make a signing of a “low-cost emergency solution”, although this appears unlikely at present as there are no obvious candidates to fit this mould.

Ronaldo faces familiar Chelsea transfer problem ahead of January window

Why Man Utd won’t sign a Ronaldo replacement in January

The idea of spending big at a notoriously expensive juncture of the season is doubtless one that does not excite the Old Trafford bosses, in part because they are now willing to give Ronaldo away for free. In the summer, they were going to demand a fee.

Although the Red Devils did not complete the summer market as they would have wished, their overall plans for January are for a quiet month. This suggests that the Dutch manager will not be furnished with the options he wants throughout his squad and will have to wait until the summer of 2023 to get his team in line with what he wants.

Indeed, it is Ten Hag’s desire for Ronaldo to remain at the club for the rest of his contract, which expires in June 2023, but the evidence suggests that this will be complicated given the player’s desire for game time.