Following Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure, Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag is reportedly determined to sign both AC Milan’s Rafael Leao and PSV Eindhoven’s Cody Gakpo..
Ronaldo had a contract at Old Trafford until next June, but the 37-year-old was released by the club last week after making explosive comments to Piers Morgan during a TalkTV interview.
With the departure of the Portugal international, the Red Devils are now short of options in the final third of the field, with Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford the only two recognized first-team centre-forwards..
Gakpo is still heavily linked with Manchester United, having spoken with Ten Hag about a possible move to Old Trafford during the summer transfer window..
According to a recent report, the Red Devils have reached an agreement in principle to sign the Dutch international during the January transfer window.
According to ESPN, the 20-time English champions are also interested in Leao, who could leave Milan during the summer transfer window.
The 23-year-old, who is also wanted by Chelsea and Manchester City, has seven goals and nine assists in 20 appearances for Milan during the 2022-23 season..
Leao also scored in Portugal’s World Cup opener against Ghana last week, and his contract at San Siro expires in the summer of 2024, fueling speculation about his future.
Chelsea are thought to have had at least one bid for the forward rejected during the summer window, and the Blues are expected to renew their interest next year.
Leao has 34 goals and 30 assists in 135 appearances for Milan since joining from Lille, helping the club win the Serie A title in 2021-22..
Gakpo, meanwhile, has scored twice in two appearances for the Netherlands at the 2022 World Cup, first against Senegal and then against Ecuador last time out.
The 23-year-old entered the tournament after a strong start to the season for PSV, where he scored nine goals and assisted on 12 occasions in 14 Eredivisie appearances.
In five Europa League appearances, the Dutchman also scored twice and provided two assists, and he is widely expected to leave Eindhoven either in January or next summer..
Man United had reportedly planned to wait until the end of the season to strengthen their squad, but Ronaldo’s departure has saved the club around £500,000 per week in wages, which could be used to bring in a couple of high-profile players during the winter transfer window..
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