Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly keen to stay with Manchester United this summer despite the recent speculation surrounding the attacker's future at Old Trafford.
The 37-year-old has scored 24 goals and registered three assists in 37 appearances for the Red Devils this season, and he still has another year left to run on his contract, with the option of a further 12 months.
However, Man United are unlikely to be able to offer Champions League football next term, with the club currently down in sixth spot in the Premier League table ahead of their final two matches of the campaign against Brighton & Hove Albion and Crystal Palace.
A recent report claimed that the Portugal international was considering leaving the 20-time English champions this summer, with a return to Real Madrid thought to be a possibility.
However, according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, the experienced forward 'hopes' to stay at Old Trafford and will soon undergo talks with the club's incoming head coach Erik ten Hag.
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Romano claims that Ronaldo wants to know whether he will be a key player at the club next term, while he has accepted that a new centre-forward will join the Red Devils in the upcoming market.
"My understanding is also that Cristiano would have no problem accepting the arrival of another striker on the market – Man United will 100% sign a new central striker but this is not linked to the future of Cristiano Ronaldo," the Italian journalist wrote in his column for CaughtOffside.
Edinson Cavani will leave Old Trafford when his contract expires at the end of June, while there is currently uncertainty surrounding the futures of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.
Benfica's Darwin Nunez continues to be strongly linked with the 20-time English champions, and a recent report claimed that the Premier League side were nearing an agreement for the Uruguay international, who has scored 34 goals in 40 appearances for his Portuguese club this term.
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Ronaldo has now netted 142 goals and registered 71 assists in 329 appearances for Man United during two separate spells, while he has scored six times in his last four Premier League outings for Ralf Rangnick's side.
On a personal level, the Portuguese has enjoyed a strong league season, scoring 18 times in 29 appearances, but Man United will almost certainly finish outside of the top four due to their recent struggles.
Ronaldo will be bidding to score in a fifth successive Premier League match against Brighton on Saturday, while Man United's final league game of the season is against Crystal Palace on May 22.
The attacker has insisted on a number of occasions that he is planning to play at the top level into his 40s, so he could potentially be a part of Ten Hag's rebuild at Old Trafford despite undoubtedly entering the latter stages of what has been an incredible career.
Ronaldo will also lead Portugal into the 2022 World Cup, with Fernando Santos's side beating North Macedonia in their playoff final at the end of March to advance to the group stage of the competition.
Matt Law
