"I think this is a wonderful chance for Ten Hag to make his mark" - Danny Murphy tells Manchester United manager to send a strong message by selling Cristiano Ronaldo

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has urged Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag to stand his ground and sort out the Cristiano Ronaldo transfer saga by offloading the superstar.

Ronaldo, who is in the final year of his contract at Old Trafford, is desperate to leave the Red Devils after the club failed to qualify for the UEFA Champions last season. The 37-year-old also missed Manchester United's pre-season tour to Thailand and Australia last month.

Although the striker returned to action in a pre-season friendly against Rayo Vallecano on July 31, he made waves after leaving Old Trafford at half-time of the contest. Ten Hag made his disapproval known to the public soon after, labeling his behavior as "unacceptable".

Writing in a column for Daily Mail, Murphy opined on how Ten Hag could make a mark at his new club. He elaborated:

"Erik ten Hag has gone into Manchester United, a huge club, and is trying to implement his own philosophy. Yet he's doing so with a great deal of noise around him — and a lot of that noise is being created by Cristiano Ronaldo. I think this is a wonderful chance for Ten Hag to make his mark. Go to the United hierarchy and say: 'Let him go, I don't need the problems.'"

He continued:

"That would send a huge message and set a strong precedent, especially after Ronaldo’s show of petulance last week when he left Old Trafford before the end of the game. That was him flexing his muscles. It will be fascinating to see what Ten Hag does with his team selection on Sunday. Will he start Ronaldo or will he make a stand?"

He added:

"If he starts him, then he might as well say that the player can do what he wants, when he wants. That has consequences. It belittles the manager and undermines his leadership and control."

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner was reportedly linked with a permanent move to heavyweight clubs like Chelsea, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain earlier this summer. However, no transfer has yet materialised for the veteran Portuguese forward.

Will Cristiano Ronaldo start for Manchester United against Brighton?

According to The Mirror, Cristiano Ronaldo has impressed in training and has asked his boss Erik ten Hag to start him in the club's Premier League season opener against Brighton Hove & Albion on August 7.

Manchester United won one and lost one Premier League contest against Brighton last season. The Red Devils picked up a 2-0 win with the Portuguese getting on the scoresheet. However, the club went on to lose 4-0 at the Amex Stadium in the return fixture earlier in May this year.