"Dealt with decisively and quickly" - Gary Neville has one clear demand from Manchester United regarding the Cristiano Ronaldo situation 

Manchester United legend Gary Neville has urged United to resolve the Cristiano Ronaldo saga as quickly as possible. He added that the Red Devils cannot afford to take the focus away from new manager Erik ten Hag.

Ronaldo, who scored 24 goals for Manchester United in 38 games across competitions in the 2021-22 season, reportedly (via Fabrizio Romano) wants to leave Old Trafford. The Portuguese superstar is in the final year of his contract with United and the club are not willing to lose him prematurely.

On the topic of Ronaldo’s current situation at the club, Neville offered a straightforward piece of advice. Calling it the “only important factor,” the former defender urged United to make sure Ten Hag’s reign is not negatively affected by the situation. The Englishman tweeted:

“The only important factor with the Ronaldo situation is that it’s dealt with decisively and quickly. This can’t be a saga that takes the focus away from ETH (Erik ten Hag) bedding in period for the next two months.”

Ronaldo, who rejoined Manchester United from Juventus in the summer of 2021, scored 18 Premier League goals in 30 appearances last season. He finished the campaign as the Red Devils’ leading goalscorer.

The Portugal international was also the third-highest goal-getter in the English top flight, with only Mohamed Salah and Heung-min Son (both 23 goals) ahead of him.

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Manchester United could have a hard time replacing Cristiano Ronaldo

The former Real Madrid star's departure could give Ten Hag more flexibility with his team, but it would also present him with a big hurdle to overcome.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner may very well be on the wrong side of 30, but he is still a formidable force to be reckoned with. He regularly finds himself in the right place at the right time, scoring crucial goals against tough opponents.

Without his goals, United would have surely missed out on a top-six finish and might have even failed to secure Europa Conference League football.

Unless they sign a capable replacement, letting the Portugal skipper leave could turn out to be a catastrophic mistake. One that could cost Ten Hag the faith Manchester United currently have in him.

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