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MANCHESTER. — Cristiano Ronaldo will be staying at Manchester United next season despite their plans to sign two new strikers this summer, Ralf Rangnick has revealed.
Rangnick, who has been in interim charge of United since the end of November, is set to make way for incoming head coach Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford once the season is complete.
And Ten Hag’s impending arrival has cast doubts over the futures of several first-team players, including Ronaldo.
The 37-year-old only sealed an emotional return to United last year, snubbing interest from rivals Manchester City to head back to his beloved club.
Though while he has produced a return of 24 goals in 37 appearances, one of which came in Monday night’s 3-0 win over Brentford, Ronaldo’s off-the-ball work has been scrutinised regularly throughout the campaign.
Many believe he will not suit Ten Hag’s modern philosophy, which consists of intense pressing high up the pitch, while Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher suggested his return last summer was a panicked decision that hasn’t gone to plan.
Ronaldo has therefore been linked with a move away from United in recent months, however Rangnick does not expect him to depart anytime soon.
After their final home game of the season against Brentford, the German was asked if Ronaldo’s lap of honour was a “wave of goodbye”.
“I don’t think why it should be a wave of goodbye,” Rangnick told Stadium Astro. “He’s got another year of contract and as far as I know he will be here next season again.”
Despite his claim that Ronaldo is staying put, Rangnick indicated before Monday’s win over the Bees that United will look to add two or three new strikers to their ranks in the summer.
Rangnick also said he is not “completely happy” with his time in charge and admitted he had expected to lead the club to Champions League football qualification.
United beat Brentford 3-0 on Monday night in Rangnick’s last home match in charge.
The club are sixth in the English Premier League and set to miss out on next season’s Champions League.
“In the end, I’m not happy with the results, especially in the past four or five weeks,” said Rangnick.
Former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked in November, with ex-midfielder Michael Carrick in charge for three matches before former RB Leipzig boss Rangnick took charge on an interim basis in December until the end of the season.
However, United, 20-time English champions, have had a disappointing campaign.
They lost at home to Championship side Middlesbrough in the fourth round of the FA Cup, went out of the Champions League to Atletico Madrid in the last 16 and are 25 points behind English Premier League leaders Manchester City.
Summing up his time in charge, Rangnick said: “I’m not completely happy with those six months. I would have expected to qualify for the Champions League; that was the goal we had.
“We lost quite a lot of important players. From the team that won against West Ham (on January 22], for the next game three players were injured. Other teams brought in players in the window. “We had good moments, we conceded fewer goals but in the last few weeks performances have not been as good as they should have been. In general, we have lacked consistency.”
Rangnick (63) is set to remain at Old Trafford in a part-time consultancy role next season, a job he will combine with his new position as Austria manager.
He will be replaced at Old Trafford by Erik ten Hag, who is moving from Ajax to take over in the summer.
Asked when planning with Ten Hag begins, Rangnick added: “So far we haven’t been able to speak. Erik’s focus is on winning the Dutch league, our focus was on our games.
“Other clubs only needed two or three transfer windows to challenge but from now on we need to bring in top-quality players who really help raise the level. If this happens, then I don’t think it should take too long (to become a major force again).”
Against Brentford, United’s side included midfielders Juan Mata (34) and Nemanja Matic (33) with both set to leave the club when their contracts expire in the summer. Paul Pogba (29) is also a free agent at the end of this season.
“It’s obvious quite a few players will leave and there is a need for top-quality players,” added Rangnick.
“I strongly believe if everyone works together we can bring Manchester United back to where we need to be.”
Rangnick believes Monday night’s performance in the 3-0 English Premier League football win over Brentford was a sign of their future potential.
Goals from captain Bruno Fernandes, Cristiano Ronaldo and Raphael Varane sealed a comfortable victory in the final home match of what has been a difficult campaign.
Rangnick believes the win over Brentford was a vast improvement when compared to their recent form.
“We were in control for most parts,” he said. “In possession, that was one of our best performances this year. It was the type of performance we wanted to show to our supporters.
“We played with Juan Mata and Nemanja Matic, and that gave us some quality in midfield. It was not too easy for Brentford to take the ball away from us.
“In the first half we played too many square and back passes but in general it was a good performance.”
Meanwhile, Brentford manager Thomas Frank said he thinks they have a good chance of keeping talismanic playmaker Christian Eriksen beyond this season and that the club will do everything it can to keep him.
Denmark international Eriksen, who needed life-saving treatment on the pitch last June when he collapsed in a European Championship match against Finland, returned to action with Brentford after signing a short-term deal in January.
The 30-year-old’s former club Inter Milan ended his contract in December as he was not allowed to play in Serie A because of his heart starter device.
British media have linked him with a return to his former side Tottenham Hotspur, with Newcastle United and Manchester United also among the clubs reported to be interested, but Frank said Brentford were not out of the running. — BBC Sport
Online Reporter