How Man Utd could line up without Cristiano Ronaldo
Robin Bairner
- Updated: 23 May 2023 08:46 CDT
- 3 min read
Manchester United are facing up to the prospect of losing Cristiano Ronaldo for the first time as tension continues to mount between the Portugal star and the Premier League club.
READ MORE: Cristiano Ronaldo LIVE transfer blog - get all the latest on CR7's Man Utd exit
Ronaldo has yet to train with Man Utd during pre-season. He was expected to report for training on Monday but was excused, officially because of family reasons, and it looks unlikely that he will be part of the squad that travels to Thailand and Australia on tour over the weekend.
The Daily Mail reports that the Old Trafford club are seriously considering selling Ronaldo for the first time. Despite the player’s undoubted talent, that promises to be a difficult task because of the financial problems engulfing many of the game’s top teams, plus the premium wages that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner commands, yet it does raise the question of how Man Utd might cope without him.
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Two ways Man Utd could look without Ronaldo
The options currently at Ten Hag’s disposal do not look particularly appetising.
The Dutchman arrives with a long history of playing a 4-3-3 formation, and that is likely what he will stick with at Man Utd, albeit it could look more like a 4-2-3-1, with Bruno Fernandes occupying what is effectively a No.10 role in front of a couple of sitting midfielders. Donny van de Beek could be used as the tempo-setter in a deep midfield role, although that could equally become Christian Eriksen should he arrive on a free transfer.
It is up front where the focus will be, though. And it is here where the abject lack of depth in Man Utd’s ranks becomes plain to see.
With no Ronaldo, it will probably be left to Marcus Rashford to lead the line, flanked by Jadon Sancho and youngster Anthony Elanga. While the England international possesses that ability to play as a No.9, his form over the last 18 months has been alarming and he has not shown himself to be of the calibre that Man Utd would expect of their centre forward.
The only genuine alternative would be for Anthony Martial to lead the line. The France international is in an equally patchy period of his career and is coming off the back of a loan move at Sevilla, where he failed to thrive. In this model, Rashford would play wide.
It is clear, then, that if Ronaldo moves, Man Utd would themselves be seeking a new No.9, but the lack of options on the transfer market then becomes a fresh headache.
