Manchester United are about to show how much they value Erik ten Hag with Cristiano Ronaldo call

Manchester United always knew this would be the summer in which they finally waved goodbye to a number of players who quite simply didn't want to play for the club anymore.

Paul Pogba's six-year stay came to an end when he officially left the club as a free agent last week, as was the case for Edinson Cavani after a failed second season in which he managed only 20 appearances. By the time his contract expired, Jesse Lingard was also glad to leave, frustrated by the lack of opportunities he had been afforded over the last year despite being promised a key role under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

United had chances to sell Pogba and Lingard while they both would've commanded a decent transfer fee, and there was also plenty of time to separate from Cavani, rather than give him an additional year at the club that he had to be convinced to agree to in the first place.

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All three of them were talented players, but much more is needed to make it at United. Erik ten Hag is looking for unity in his first season at Old Trafford and is keen to establish a sense of camaraderie and togetherness. The news that Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave this summer certainly wasn't in his plan.

Ronaldo still views himself as one of the greatest players on the planet and feels his 24 goals in 37 last season are deserving of a greater platform than the Europa League with a dysfunctional United side next season.

Even at the age of 37, he has proven himself good enough to lead the line in the Premier League most weeks, but there is an acceptance that his powers are dwindling, and he might only have another couple of seasons at the top level competing for the most sought-after prizes in club