Cristiano Ronaldo backed to complete second sensational Man Utd return; rival boss ‘loves’ Ten Hag target

Cristiano Ronaldo could re-join Manchester United for a second time in what would be a stunning move, according to one of his former team-mates, while Erik ten Hag is at risk of missing out on the signing of a midfield target.

Ronaldo made headlines around the world when he returned to Man Utd in August 2021, with the Red Devils paying Juventus an initial £12.9million for him, plus an extra £6.9m in potential add-ons. Despite the striker not being at the peak of his powers, he still managed 24 goals in 38 games during his first season back at Old Trafford, with 18 of those goals coming in the Premier League.

Man Utd endured a very disappointing season on the whole, finishing sixth in the Premier League and picking up just 58 points. However, Ronaldo leading the line at least gave the Man Utd fans something to get behind.

Erik ten Hag arrived in the summer of 2022 and soon explained how he wanted to initiate a new style of play which would involve a higher press, while also relying less on Ronaldo.

DON’T MISS – The most expensive Man Utd sales of all time: Ronaldo holds top spot, Beckham still in top 10

It did not take the Portuguese icon long to be frustrated with being left on the bench, however, and he then conducted a bombshell interview in which he criticised Ten Hag and several other aspects of life at Man Utd.

Ronaldo and Man Utd mutually agreed to terminate his contract in November 2022 and the five-time Ballon d’Or winner went on to pick up a huge salary by joining Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

So far, Ronaldo has netted 60 goals in 66 games for Al-Nassr, while his contract with the Saudi Pro League club runs until June 2025.

Louis Saha, who played with Ronaldo at Man Utd between January 2004 and September 2008, has now predicted that the legendary goalscorer will return home at some stage in the future, though not as a player.

Cristiano Ronaldo news: Stunning Man Utd return predicted

“Cristiano Ronaldo has the passion and dedication to return to Manchester United one day,” Saha claimed. “That could be as a coach or even a manager. His second spell didn’t end how everyone had hoped and you can see why that frustrated him.

“He didn’t see the same formula and didn’t see the passion from young players that he had been used to seeing.

“Now he will know that he needs to find a new way to communicate when he becomes a coach, which maybe isn’t as harsh or direct as it was when he was at the club.

“He will work out how to be successful and use all his knowledge to do that, we’ve seen Roy Keane go into management and have success.

“Cristiano will understand what he needs to do as a manager and I see no reason why he wouldn’t be a success.”

Meanwhile, Ten Hag is hopeful that Man Utd will sign both Manuel Ugarte and Sofyan Amrabat to revamp their defensive midfield ranks, but the Dutchman is facing disappointment.

Club chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe is getting closer to landing Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain, but Fiorentina are aiming to keep Amrabat.

“I love him, he’s a great guy, we’ve created a great relationship with him,” Fiorentina boss Raffaele Palladino said when asked about Amrabat.

“He’s a sincere guy at heart. He sent signals to me and Fiorentina, making himself available from day one.

“The transfer rumours are normal, he’s a player of a certain level, he and the club will decide his future. I hope I can still coach him, for me he’s a great player.”

READ MORE – What Man Utd would lose by selling Scott McTominay: Five factors to make Ten Hag think twice