Who will replace Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United?

When Manchester United announced the spectacular return of Cristiano Ronaldo in August 2021, football fans worldwide (and United fans particularly) were thrilled to see the Portuguese legend back with the 'Red Devils', the club that saw his rise to stardom and some of his best performances.

However, the reality of Ronaldo's return has been bittersweet, with more bitter moments than sweet ones as of late. The early excitement around his first goals back at Old Trafford has given way, one year later, to an uncomfortable situation.

After Ronaldo's attempt to leave the club over the last transfer window, and the complicated relationship he's having this season with coach Erik Ten Hag, it seems inevitable that Ronaldo will leave Manchester United either in the January transfer window or at the end of the current season.

According to the British press, Erik Ten Hag and Manchester United are already planning ahead and looking for players that can take Ronaldo's place in the squad once he leaves.

The list of players that are within Manchester United's pool of candidates reaches all over Europe. Here are some of the players that are rumoured to be in United's list according to the press.

The 23-year-old attacker is having a brilliant season at PSV Eindhoven, and is said to be among United's top priorities. The 'Red Devils' were already interested in the Dutch player last summer, and will have to be convincing if they don't want to be outmaneuvered by other clubs that are also interested in signing Gakpo.

The Nigerian forward has long been associated with Manchester United. His performances this season for the leaders of the Serie A are consolidating his status as one of the most attractive players out there for a club in need of a world-class striker.

Another name that has been associated on multiple occasions with Manchester United is the Argentinian forward Lautaro Martínez. At the age of 25, the Inter striker has been approached by many of Europe's biggest clubs.

Toney's exploits at Brentford have not only resulted in his first call-up at the England national team, but also attracted the interest of several top clubs in the Premier League, including Manchester United.

Some United fans will remember Danjuma for his impressive performance at Old Trafford in last season's Champions League match-up against Villarreal. The former Bournemouth forward has been scoring goals consistently at the Spanish club (when he hasn't been injured), and is an interesting prospect for several Premier League clubs, including Liverpool and United.

The Georgian has been the biggest surprise of the season so far, contributing decisively to the brilliant performance of SSC Napoli both in the Serie A and the Champions League. Without a doubt, he is already an objective for Manchester United and other big European clubs.

The Cameroonian-German forward is also proving to be a surprising figure in European football this season, to the extent that some media outlets in England are reporting Manchester United's interest in signing him. However, at the age of 33, it seems unlikely that Choupo-Moting will be prioritized over other candidates.

What if the player that United are looking for is already in the club? That is what some are suggesting when talking about Alejandro Garnacho, the 18 year-old forward that has been compared to the young Cristiano Ronaldo by former teammate Paul Scholes.

In any case, while Manchester United can boast of a talented squad with several high-profile attackers, such as Antony, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, it is clear that a striker is needed to fulfill the role that Ronaldo was signed for: scoring goals.

Some are hoping to see Ronaldo turn around the situation and demonstrate that he can still be the goal-scoring striker that everyone knows of. However, most people believe that his glory days are behind, and that at the age of 37 he can't be the decisive player he used to be. Only time will tell, but in the meantime, the Qatar World Cup will test whether Ronaldo can still be at the highest level of football competition.