The coach of Manchester United, Erik ten Hag, has spoken to the media for the first time after the rumors about Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from the club this summer. The Dutch technician has assured the fans of the "Red Devils" that C37 is in the team's plans this season, and that his card is not for sale.
The 37-year-old striker will miss part of United's pre-season tour to Thailand. The English media have recently reported that the Portuguese wants to leave Old Trafford, since he is not convinced of the plans and project that Manchester has for the future. But Ten Hag seems to be looking for something else. The former Ajax coach spoke confidently about Ronaldo's future. He said:
"He (Ronaldo) is not with us due to personal reasons. We are planning the next season together with Cristiano Ronaldo. This is all. I look forward to working with him very soon. Cristiano is not for sale, he is in our plans. We wish for success together.”
Ten Hag confirmed that he had communicated with Ronaldo before the start of the summer tour. The Dutchman also commented on the issue of the captain's armband, which became an issue last season:
"We had a nice conversation. That remains between Cristiano and me, what I can say is that we had a very good chat together... Harry Maguire will be the captain. He has been the captain for more than 1 year and has achieved a lot of success. No doubt about it."
So far, United's only approach this summer is Feyenoord's Tyrell Malacia. Asked about the situation, coach Ten Hag underlined that the club only recruits players if he believes they can adapt to the new game module at the Red Devils.
