Manchester United eyeing move for 23-year-old forward once Cristiano Ronaldo leaves and reduces wage bill: Reports

Manchester United will look to sign PSV Eindhoven star Cody Gakpo in the next 12 months once Cristiano Ronaldo leaves Old Trafford, as per Forbes (h/t Football365).

United wanted to sign Gakpo this summer but failed to do so due to Antony's bloated transfer and a failure to move Ronaldo on. The Red Devils signed the former from Ajax for a fee of €100 million including add-ons.

Ronaldo's desire to leave Old Trafford in the recently-concluded transfer window was well documented. However, no suitable UEFA Champions League-playing club came forward to sign the forward.

The Portugal icon has less than 12 months remaining on his contract, with United having the option of extending by another year. However, it remains to be seen if the Red Devils decide to extend his stay beyond next summer.

The 37-year-old, as brilliant as he is still, is no longer the Cristiano Ronaldo of yesteryear, and also takes up a lot of space on the wage bill with his yearly salary of €36 million. Moreover, manager Erik ten Hag has left the former Real Madrid star on the bench in their last four Premier League games.

Gakpo, meanwhile, was apparently unsettled over not being able to join the Red Devils this summer. PSV chief Marcel Brands admitted earlier this month:

“Cody had a difficult preparation with us because he has spoken with Manchester United. They didn’t come until mid-August and it didn’t go through.”

No one could have guessed that after looking at the way Gakpo started this season. He has registered eight goals and six assists in seven Eredivisie games since the start of the campaign.

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Arsenal's summer target cites Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo as his inspiration

Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhaylo Mudryk was pursued by Bayer Leverkusen, Arsenal, and Brentford this summer. However, the up-and-coming 21-year-old winger ended up staying at the Ukrainian club beyond the transfer deadline.

He has started the season in fine form, scoring two goals and providing three assists in five games across competitions. If Mudryk keeps this up, the number of suitors chasing his signature could increase next year.

One team that the player would himself be following is Manchester United, due to Cristiano Ronaldo. In an interview with The Times, Mudryk admitted that he sees United's No. 7 as an inspiration and said:

“My inspiration is Cristiano Ronaldo because of what you can do if you work hard and believe in yourself. I like the way Cristiano plays. I see myself like that - a winger.”

Ronaldo's best years as a player came down the left flank at Manchester United and Real Madrid. However, with age, he has adapted his game to play as a centre-forward.