Manchester United ‘will not sign Cristiano Ronaldo replacement in January’

Manchester United ‘will not look to sign a Cristiano Ronaldo replacement’ if the unsettled Portuguese star secures a move away in January.

Ronaldo’s Old Trafford future hangs in the balance after manager Erik ten Hag dropped him from his squad for Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Chelsea after the 37-year-old stormed off early during the midweek win over Tottenham Hotspur.

Talks between player and manager will be held on Monday with Ten Hag keen to know whether Ronaldo can tolerate a bit-part role for the remainder of the season.

Ten Hag banished Ronaldo from first-team involvement after he stormed down the tunnel before the full-time whistle and refused to come on as a substitute against Tottenham

But if Ronaldo does receive a suitable offer and United sell him in January, they won’t look to immediately sign a replacement centre forward, according to The Athletic.

That’s despite Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial realistically being the only other realistic centre forward options for the remainder of the season.

Indeed, United are likely to have a low-key January window unless an emergency forward is needed because of Ronaldo’s exit plus injuries.

French striker Martial, 26, has looked a rejuvenated player since Ten Hag arrived in the summer but injuries have restricted him to just four appearances so far this season.

Marcus Rashford has been leading the line for United while Ronaldo has been left out

Nonetheless, Martial has scored three goals and contributed two assists in those four outings.

England star Rashford, 24, has therefore shouldered most of the attacking burden in Ronaldo’s position. He has scored five times and set up a further three goals in 13 outings.

Beyond that, United’s only other options are wide attackers such as Antony or Jadon Sancho, who are not familiar with leading the line.

United put in a good performance at Stamford Bridge in…