The Cristiano Ronaldo saga has been dominating the headlines as of late, with the Portuguese superstar recently informing Manchester United of his desire to leave the club after only one season.
This left Old Trafford fans concerned for their beloved team, with the Red Devils failing to make any public statements regarding the attacker's future in the days following that decision from the five-time Ballon d'Or winner. However, Erik ten Hag has now finally broken that silence, with the newly-appointed manager revealing his stance regarding the 37-year-old.
The Dutch tactician, who is currently in Thailand with Manchester United for their highly-anticipated pre-season clash with bitter rivals Liverpool, did not shy away from the topic when speaking to the media. The former Ajax boss was blunt and straight-to-the-point with his plan for Ronaldo: he is going nowhere.
Ten Hag admitted that he is aware of the situation, as reported by several reputable news outlet, but unequivocally stated that their talisman forward is not for sale. Furthermore, with Cristiano failing to report for pre-season duty as initially planned, the gaffer also reiterated that the superstar's absence is due to personal reasons, as previously stated.
"He's not with us, it's due to personal issues," Ten Hag stated, as per the Athletic.
"We are planning with Cristiano Ronaldo for this season. I'm looking forward to working with him.
"He hasn't told me he wants to leave. I have read but what I say, Cristiano is not for sale. He is in our plans and we want to have success together."
One thing that might be concerning is Ten Hag admitting that he has not spoken to Ronaldo since the player asked to leave the Theatre of Dreams, adding: "I spoke with him before this issue came up. I had a conversation with him and a real good talk.
"That is between Cristiano and me. Only what I can confirm is that we had a really good conversation together."
The former Real Madrid and Juventus ace made a triumphant return to the Theatre of Dreams last summer, with many fans believing his arrival – alongside the acquisitions of Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane – would propel the club to a title challenge. Unfortunately for them, what subsequently followed was disaster, with the Red Devils failing to qualify for the UEFA Champions League after finishing sixth in the table, behind Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester City.
The absence of UEFA Champions League football and the club's inability to challenge for serious titles in Cristiano's final few years at the top of his game are seen as the two main factors behind his desire to leave. At the age of 37, the Portugal captain cannot afford to wait and take part in Ten Hag's rebuild.
However, it remains to be seen whether any other major European club will make a move for the goalscoring machine. While the manager stated that the player is not for sale, that stance could always change should the right bid arrive. There have been links with Chelsea, who are a top side with UEFA Champions League football, but it's unclear whether Tuchel will pursue this move.
