Cristiano Ronaldo decides his choice for Manchester United manager from 4-man shortlist - Reports

Cristiano Ronaldo has picked former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique as the ideal candidate to lead Manchester United next season, according to the Mirror.

Earlier this week, The Athletic reported that United have shortlisted four managers to replace interim manager Ralf Rangnick on a permanent basis. The shortlist includes Erik ten Hag, Mauricio Pochettino, Julen Lopetegui and Enrique.

The Mirror has now reported that Cristiano Ronaldo was unhappy with where the club was heading under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Shortly after the sacking of the Norwegian coach, the 36-year-old forward identified Enrique as the most apt manager to lead the club forward.

Interestingly enough, the Spain head coach is one of the managers currently on Manchester United's four-man shortlist for their new permanent manager. It could imply that Ronaldo will still want Enrique to take charge of the Red Devils come next season.

Luis Enrique is one of the most decorated coaches in recent history. The Spaniard famously guided Barcelona to the treble in 2015 when Ronaldo was still playing in Spain for Real Madrid. Now at the helm of La Roja, Enrique has already sealed their berth in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

The 51-year-old tactician guided Spain to the semi-finals of Euro 2020 and also helped them finish runners-up to France in the 2021 UEFA Nations League as well.

However, another report from the Mirror suggested that current Ajax manager Erik Ten Hag is leading the race to become the next Manchester United manager. Other names thrown into the equation include Mauricio Pochettino and Brendan Rodgers.

As things stand, Rangnick will be at the helm at Old Trafford until the end of the season before taking up an advisory role at the club. The possibility of the German being hired as the permanent manager is also on the cards.

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Cristiano Ronaldo has struggled to score consistently for Manchester United under Ralf Rangnick

Since the appointment of Rangnick as Manchester United's interim manager, Cristiano Ronaldo has struggled to find the back of the net on a consistent basis. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has scored just two league goals in seven appearances under the German. One came against Norwich City while the other was scored against Burnley.

Ronaldo also cut a frustrated figure when Rangnick decided to substitute him for Marcus Rashford during their 3-1 win over Brentford last week.

Despite his poor run, Cristiano Ronaldo is still the club's leading goalscorer this season. The Portuguese forward has scored 14 goals in 23 appearances for United across all competitions.