Cristiano Ronaldo forced Man Utd to veto manager before Erik ten Hag appointment

Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly discouraged Manchester United from making a move Antonio Conte earlier this season and the club have elected not to consult him over the appointment of Erik ten Hag.

The Red Devils have been searching for a new permanent manager since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked and replaced by interim boss Ralf Rangnick in November.

Prior to the Norwegian’s dismissal, United had been linked with a move for Conte but they opted to stick with Solskjaer – albeit briefly – with the Italian joining Tottenham instead.

That decision appears to have backfired, with United now in a fight just to claim a European place while Spurs have started to take control of the battle for fourth place and sit six points clear of Rangnick’s side despite losing at Old Trafford last month.

There has been better news for United in recent days, however, with Ajax boss Ten Hag having verbally agreed a three-year deal – with the option for a fourth year – to take over at Old Trafford.

Interestingly, the Manchester Evening News report that this time around United’s board declined to seek the advice of Ronaldo after he warned them off Conte back in October.

United’s hierarchy had not been entirely convinced about replacing Solskjaer with the hot-headed former Inter boss and that was only compounded when Ronaldo’s own reservations were fed back to the board.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner effectively vetoed any move for Conte from happening, but just a few weeks later his agent, Jorge Mendes, was pressing for the club to dismiss Solskjaer after United were hammered 4-1 by Watford.

In a move which perhaps suggests United’s board regret listening to Ronaldo’s opinion on Conte, the club have not consulted him or any first-team players on the new manager.

Football director John Murtough and technical director Darren Fletcher led the search for a new boss, overseeing comprehensive background checks on a number of targets including Mauricio Pochettino and Luis Enrique.

Ten Hag soon emerged as the club’s clear preference, impressing in an interview with CEO Richard Arnold, and United are hoping to announce his appointment some time after the Dutch Cup final so as not to disrupt Ajax’s season.

Ronaldo, meanwhile, has often been criticised for his lack of work rate and pressing this season despite being the club’s top scorer and there have been suggestions he could leave Old Trafford this summer despite still having one year left on his contract.

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