Cristiano Ronaldo exit would hand Erik ten Hag extra £30m in January transfer window

Posted Friday, September 16, 2022 by Dailystar.co.uk

With Erik ten Hag preferring Marcus Rashford to lead the line, five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has started just one Premier League match for Man Utd this season

Cristiano Ronaldo exit would hand Erik ten Hag extra £30m in January transfer window
Erik ten Hag will be handed another war chest in the winter transfer window

Erik ten Hag would reportedly be handed an extra £30million to boost his January transfer budget should Cristiano Ronaldo opt to leave Manchester United.

The newly installed manager, 52, is reliant on shelving Ronaldo's eye-watering £450k-a-week wages if he wants to continue his heavy spree of spending after splashing out more than £200m in the summer transfer window.

And despite firmly putting his imprint on United with the arrivals of Christian Eriksen, Antony, Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Tyrell Malacia, Ten Hag is keen to continue his Old Trafford revolution by adding more world-class talent to his rejuvenated Red Devils.

According to the Sun, the Dutch chief is set to be handed a winter war chest of £70m following the conclusion of the World Cup in Qatar with a Champions League finish the expected target for his first season in the Man Utd hot seat.

However, this figure would be topped up to a staggering £100m should Ronaldo complete a winter switch elsewhere. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is still on the hunt for a pathway out of Old Trafford after seeing moves to Barcelona, Napoli, Atletico Madrid, Chelsea and Sporting Lisbon all fall flat over the summer.

Cristiano Ronaldo exit would hand Erik ten Hag extra £30m in January transfer window
Cristiano Ronaldo wanted to leave Man Utd in the summer

Starting just one Premier League match since his failed exit, the 4-0 mauling at Brentford, Ronaldo is now understood to be reconsidering a sensational £233m contract offer from an unnamed Suadi Arabian outfit. Portugal's record goalscorer had been holding out for a move to a club competing in the Champions League but all avenues have been exhausted.

Entering the final months of his two-year deal, and with Marcus Rashford currently preferred to lead the line, United would be unlikely to prevent Ronaldo from leaving the club for the second time in January.

The Red Devils are still keen on pursuing a deal for no1 target Frenkie de Jong and the extra cash would also mean Ten Hag is able to bolster more than one position. The Dutchman believes United still need a minimum of three first-team additions before they are able to challenge for the Premier League title.