As a result of the explosive interview that Cristiano Ronaldo had with Piers Morgan earlier this week, the No. 7 shirt at Manchester United might become available sooner than people expected.
Ronaldo, who was already speculated to leave Old Trafford in January or the summer, caused a stir when he criticized the club in an unapproved interview. Ronaldo's comments contributed to the controversy. The 37-year-old player asserted that the club had lied to him, leveled criticism at head coach Erik ten Hag, as well as the club's owners, and singled out several of his former teammates for criticism.
It is the most controversial moment of Ronaldo's season to this point, but it comes after he was dropped from the squad for one match and made to train alone after he refused to come on as a substitute during the victory over Tottenham in October. He stormed out of the tunnel and out of the stadium before his teammates had even made it back to the locker room.The veteran striker, who is currently away with Portugal in preparation for the World Cup in Qatar, made it clear that he wanted to leave United in the summer due to the club's lack of participation in the Champions League. However, the move away from the Reds did not take place, and he continued to play for the team. Even though his contract doesn't run out until the end of the season, his most recent transgression may now result in an early departure from the team.
In the event that he decides to leave Old Trafford for a second time, the No. 7 shirt will once again become available, and there will be a number of eager parties competing for the opportunity to wear the prestigious jersey. MEN's Health and Fitness has taken a look at some of the candidates who could replace the current number seven at the club, most likely beginning in the summer of 2018.
Antony
Although the Brazilian winger has never worn the number in his professional career (he played for Ajax wearing No. 11), he might be interested in taking on the responsibility of wearing the shirt if it were offered to him. Antony certainly possesses the flair that is required, and since making the move from Amsterdam to Old Trafford in the summer, he has gotten off to an encouraging start in his new home.
The 22-year-old forward, who scored three goals in his first three matches in the Premier League, has been in better form than several of his attacking teammates, with Marcus Rashford, who wears the No. 10 jersey, being arguably the only wide man in better form than Antony. Antony scored three goals in his first three matches in the Premier League.
Jadon Sancho
Given that he wore the number seven jersey while playing for Borussia Dortmund, Jadon Sancho would have been the most likely candidate to take over the No. 7 jersey at the beginning of the season.
The 22-year-old forward has had a rough start to the season, scoring just three goals for Ten Hag's squad while appearing in 14 matches so far. This season, he has only started 12 matches, and England has decided not to include him in the team that will compete in the World Cup. In spite of this, the perpetrator of the attack might still try to grab the shirt if it happens to become available.
Alejandro Garnacho
It would be a huge vote of confidence in Alejandro Garncho as a forward for the Reds to hand the No. 7 shirt over to the youngster who plays for the team. The 18-year-old has recorded two goals and two assists through the first eight games of the season, including the game-winning goal in a crucial match against Fulham the weekend before last.
When given the opportunity to play for the first team, Garnacho has not only excelled but also impressed while playing for the U21s.
New contract inking
The Reds are anticipated to acquire a forward player at some point during the course of the following year, so one of the other possibilities would be to hand the No. 7 shirt over to that player. United has been linked with a number of attacking stars, and many of those players would jump at the chance to play for the illustrious club if given the chance.
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