Paul Merson thinks Manchester United fans should be worried that Cristiano Ronaldo will head for the Old Trafford exit for a second time at the end of the season.
The Portugal captain has cut a frustrated figure, even amid the uncertainty following the dismal results, and the Premier League winner thinks it signals an impending departure in the summer.
A run of one win in two months spelt the end of the Norwegian who was dismissed on the eve of his three-year anniversary at the helm.
United sit 12 points off the pace despite spending over £150m in the summer on new arrivals but Merson thinks the 36-year-old won’t stick around in the twilight of his career missing out on the top four – a gap that currently sits at six points.
Ronaldo has been instrumental in limiting the damage for the Reds this season. A brace against Newcastle on his second debut spared their blushes before winning goals against Villarreal and Atalanta and his point-saving strike against Gian Piero Gasperini’s side are just some of the moments in his early return.
And this week’s opener against the Yellow Submarine set United on their way to securing United their Champions League qualification.
“Manchester United needing an interim manager is a shambles – and Cristiano Ronaldo might decide to walk away in the summer,” Merson said in his Daily Star column.
“He won’t be hanging around if they don’t finish in the top four because he will want to end his career in the Champions League.
“And that doesn’t look terribly likely right now because United are a mess and will probably get thrashed by Chelsea this weekend.
“I think Ronaldo would stay if they manage to qualify for the Champions League.
“But I said when they signed him that signing him means they are further away from winning the league than ever – and they are.
“He’s been a problem because OIe Gunnar Solskjaer had a plan before they signed him and had to rip it all up to try and get him in the team, and it hasn’t worked.”
Mauricio Pochettino remains the preferred candidate for the Reds to take over on a permanent basis whilst Ralf Rangnick has agreed to become the interim manager until the end of the season.
But the temporary role doesn’t sit right with the 53-year-old and even should they appoint the former Spurs man in the summer, it still won’t bode well for Ronaldo.
He added: “It might actually suit all parties if he leaves anyway because if they appoint Mauricio Pochettino and he wants to press from the front, you’re not doing that with Ronaldo.”
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