Ralf Rangnick's patience with Cristiano Ronaldo is 'wearing thin', and the Manchester United interim boss has doubts that the Portuguese superstar is capable of leading the line next season.
Ronaldo has scored just one goal in his last ten games, most recently turning in an incredibly wasteful performance as United laboured to a 0-0 draw at home to Watford.
The Manchester Evening News report that Rangnick has 'major reservations' over Ronaldo's suitability to lead the United frontline in the long-term, and that the only reason the German has not dropped him yet is due to the injury and form woes of the Red Devils' other attackers.
Ronaldo's only goal for Man Utd in February came against Brighton, drawing a blank in the five other games in which he started.
While he was largely the reason that United reached the knockout stages of the Champions League, scoring six crucial goals in the group stage, Ronaldo has scored nine times in the Premier League this season. At this current rate, he will end the season with 13 league goals, his lowest return since the 2005/06 season.
Rangnick, who will begin a consultancy role at the end of the season, has previously stressed the need for United to sign another younger striker this summer, with Ronaldo turning 37 recently and 35-year-old Edinson Cavani almost certainly set to leave the club following the expiration of his contract this summer.
Rangnick has leaned on 19-year-old Anthony Elanga since taking the interim manager's job, with the Swede notably scoring the crucial equaliser in United's 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid last week. While Elanga has thrived, Marcus Rashford is enduring a subpar season and has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford.
Source : 90min