I wanted Cristiano Ronaldo to stay at Manchester United, claims Erik ten Hag

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag has claimed he wanted Cristiano Ronaldo to stay at the club.

Ten Hag said he discovered Ronaldo wanted to leave Manchester United only after he watched the player's bombshell interview with Piers Morgan. Ronaldo gave the interview last month, where he said he "felt betrayed" by the club and also stated that he "did not respect" Ten Hag.

The Dutch boss also revealed that he had just one conversation with Ronaldo, where the latter said that he wanted to part ways with Manchester United when the 2022 summer window was open. This happened when Ronaldo was given time off as his family tried to deal with the aftermath of the tragic death of his baby son.

"In the summer we had one talk. He came in and said 'I will tell you in seven days if I want to stay'. He came back and said he did. Until that moment [the interview] I never heard anything [else]," said Ten Hag in a recent interview.

It is understood that many believe the situation has worked well in Ten Hag's favour. The manager's position has been strengthened because the club stood behind him when he dropped Ronaldo for refusing to come off the bench during the victory against Tottenham in October.

Now, Ten Hag doesn't have to deal with Ronaldo's antics and also with the issue of getting the player to follow his instructions to press high up the pitch.

However, Ten Hag does not see it like that and wanted Ronaldo to stay.

"I like to work with world-class players. I know they can make a difference and help you to achieve your objectives. I wanted him to stay from the first moment until now. I did everything to bring him into the team because I value his quality. We wanted him to be part of our project and for him to contribute to Manchester United because he is a great player and has such a great history," added Ten Hag.

Manchester United: Ronaldo is gone and it's the past, says Ten Hag

Ronaldo's deal with the Old Trafford side was due to expire in 2023 summer. If Manchester United would have offered a contract extension to the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, Ten Hag was not against it.

"Definitely not. Last year he scored 24 goals. What does this team need? We need goals," the Dutch boss said.

"He's gone and it's the past. I don't want to spend energy on that. It is the past. We want a new future of Manchester United and he didn't want to be part of it. All my accountability is in favour of the club and the team. They are the decisions I have to make and it doesn't matter which person it is.

"It is about how we perform now. I believe our performances will confirm that we are going in the right direction," Ten Hag said further.

Ronaldo finished his second spell at Manchester United with 27 goals across one and a half seasons. Overall, in two stints with the Red Devils, the Portuguese skipper netted 145 goals and 64 assists in 346 matches in all competitions.

Ronaldo is currently playing in the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar with Portugal, who have not won the coveted trophy yet. The Portuguese side is scheduled to take on Morocco in the quarter-final on Saturday.