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Manchester United will not play in the UEFA Champions League next season, after officially exiting the race for fourth place over the weekend. The Red Devils are sixth in the Premier League table, with just a game to go. West Ham United, who are three points behind them, have a game in hand.
Meanwhile, Frank McAvennie wants Cristiano Ronaldo to stay at Old Trafford. Elsewhere, Noel Whelan has slammed United's interim manager Ralf Rangnick for his recent comments.
On that note, here's a look at the key Manchester United transfer stories as on 9th May 2022:
Frank McAvennie wants Cristiano Ronaldo to stay at Manchester United
Former West Ham United striker Frank McAvennie wants Cristiano Ronaldo to stay at Old Trafford beyond the summer. The Portuguese could leave Manchester United this summer, with reports claiming he might not fit into new manager Erik ten Hag’s plans.
However, speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie said that Ronaldo’s presence would be a great help to Ten Hag.
“That’s not a surprise, I’m sure they’ll have spoken a lot about him staying and the future for this team. Why would you not keep him? He’s so experienced – and he’ll help Ten Hag when he comes in. Ten Hag will have had his people at the games to help him make these decisions. You can’t hide now, especially with all the cameras around the place."
He continued:
“If you’re not having a good game, as a lot of Man United players are – you can still do something for your teammates. It’s the easiest thing you can do – help your teammates by putting a shift in. And they don’t seem to do it. Ronaldo and Messi have been doing it all their career. Not so much now, because they’re getting on a bit. I dread to think about the running stats out of that team – it has been so poor."
Ronaldo is the club's top-scorer with 24 goals this season but is set to endure his first trophyless campaign in 12 years. If he stays put at Old Trafford beyond the summer, he'll miss the UEFA Champions League for the first time in 20 years.
Noel Whelan criticises Ralf Rangnick for recent comments
Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan believes Manchester United would have seen little improvement even if they had invested in a striker in January. Ralf Rangnick recently revealed that he wanted a new number nine in January but was denied by the board.
Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan said that one player would have made little difference at Old Trafford.
“I don’t think one player would have changed anything. They’re not going to be picking from the top strikers. The best players simply wouldn’t have wanted to go to Man United. They’re nowhere near Liverpool and Man City,” said Whelan.
He added:
“Look, Ronaldo isn’t a bad centre-forward to have, is he? He’s been banging in goals for them, so let’s not start whinging about that. It’s yet more excuses coming out of the club. A striker wouldn’t have changed anything – they’re weak, they don’t work hard enough – and that’s easy to see."
Paul Pogba not interested in joining Manchester City
Paul Pogba is not interested in joining Manchester City this summer, according to The Hard Tackle via The Athletic.
The French midfielder is in the final two months of his current contract with Manchester United. The Red Devils have failed to convince him to extend his stay at Old Trafford.
The Cityzens have emerged as shock candidates for Pogba’s signature. Manager Pep Guardiola is not averse to having the 29-year-old on his roster. However, the Frenchman does not want to move to the Etihad and is likely to move abroad. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Juventus are monitoring his situation with interest.
