Ronaldo won't return to United after the World Cup

The Glazer family has made a lot of mistakes in the past 17 years, and they made another mistake this summer when Cristiano Ronaldo decided he did not want to play for Manchester United anymore, and Jose Mourinho decided he did not want Cristiano Ronaldo to play for Manchester United. Joel Glazer did.

Even as early as July, Erik ten Hag expressed interest in selling Ronaldo, but Glazer was resistant to the idea of a sale. This stance from United's co-owner, combined with the absence of appropriate offers for Ronaldo, ensured that he would still be playing for United on September 1st. Ronaldo is the captain of Portugal's national football team. However, it was abundantly clear that the troubled marriage was doomed to remain broken, and on Tuesday night, the decision to divorce was finalized. The children will remain in the care of United.

Ever since he arrived in M16, Erik ten Hag has shown a preference for younger attackers, and a bit-part role was never going to be enough to satisfy the game's greatest egotist. Through his accomplishments in football over the course of the past 16 years, Ronaldo has earned the right to have an ego; however, time waits for no man, and his time at the top is quickly coming to an end.

It would be naive to suggest that Ronaldo no longer has anything to contribute at the highest level, but Ten Hag has made it abundantly clear for some time that he has his sights set on a different course of action. Marcus Rashford played his first game of the World Cup on Monday, and it is largely due to the efforts of Ten Hag that he is even in Qatar after three years of befuddling mediocrity on the field.

Rashford, who scored five goals in the previous season and nine so far this one, has been revitalized by Ten Hag, and he is not the only player showing clear signs of development under United's most progressive coach since Sir Alex Ferguson. Rashford has scored nine goals so far this season.

When Anthony Martial is at his best, he is a far more suitable spearhead than Ronaldo. He is able to interchange effectively with United's other fluid forwards like Rashford, Jadon Sancho, and the Brazilian Antony. However, Martial's fragility has limited the Frenchman's impact, and the three injuries he has nursed this season are cause for concern.

Alejandro Garnacho made his debut in the Premier League on the same day that news broke about Cristiano Ronaldo's interview with the sycophantic Piers Morgan. Garnacho scored the game-winning goal for Manchester United in injury time at Craven Cottage. Ronaldo never had any intention of being a part of Ten Hag's long-term project, and Garnacho is the future of United. Ronaldo also never had any intention of being a part of Ten Hag's project.

The only forwards still playing for United who are older than 22 are Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford. With the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo and the departures over the summer of several players in their 30s, including Nemanja Matic, Edinson Cavani, Juan Mata, and Jesse Lingard, it is obvious that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to refresh his team.

Even though Casemiro and Christian Eriksen have both reached the age of 30, unlike Ronaldo, Matic, Cavani, Mata, and Lingard, both players are still at the height of their powers despite having signed with United.

United's pursuit of a new striker will almost certainly have to move up their list of priorities for the summer of 2019, as they may be forced to do so as a result of recent events. Ten Hag can make a compelling case to be backed to the hilt in January now that Ronaldo's wages have been removed from the books and Anthony Martial is the only remaining senior striker in his squad.