Cristiano Ronaldo 'should be sold for future good' of Manchester United

Cristiano Ronaldo should be sold for the 'future good' of Manchester United according to an ex-Liverpool midfielder.

The 37-year-old is United's top goalscorer this season with 18 goals this season however his performances have been under constant scrutiny from pundits and fans. Ronaldo's hat-trick against Tottenham in the Premier League earned rave reviews but he was left struggling for opportunities vs Atletico Madrid on Tuesday night.

Danny Murphy believes that, although he is a legend at Old Trafford, Ronaldo would need to be sold in the summer to allow for a rebuild. Commenting in his Daily Mail column, Murphy said: "Something radical needs to change at Manchester United even if it means important players like Cristiano Ronaldo being sold.

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"You have to be careful dealing with superstars on big contracts, it’s better to find other takers before you fall out with them. But the bigger picture is that United have gone five years without a trophy and need to back a top manager who is there for the long haul, whether it be Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino or someone else.

"Those guys will want to do things their own way and a clear-out makes sense, headed by Paul Pogba and Ronaldo." Manchester Evening News understands that Erik ten Hag is favoured by the United board to takeover at the Theatre of Dreams.

On Ronaldo, the Match of the Day pundit added: "They rely on Ronaldo’s individual brilliance, which can work in some games, like Tottenham last Saturday, but doesn’t against the best teams in the Premier League and Champions League. Manchester City and Liverpool have pushed the bar so high, United need