Manchester United took the advice of forward Cristiano Ronaldo and chose not to hire the manager they really wanted earlier this season.
That's according to the Metro, who claim that the Portuguese legend's agent Jorge Mendes put pressure on the Red Devils to sack former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer since he believed that the Norwegian was holding back his client.
Solksjaer was eventually sacked in November, however, when United were battered 4-1 away to Watford in one of their most embarrassing moments of a difficult campaign.
But while United apparently opened discussions with the then-unemployed Antonio Conte, incredibly, the report says that Ronaldo vetoed the decision, not believing the Italian to be the kind of coach who would get the best from him.
The Old Trafford outfit instead opted for gegenpress guru Ralf Rangnick on an interim basis, with the 63-year-old stepping into a consultancy role at the end of the season. The hire seems to have misfired, however, with United facing the prospect of finishing outside the top four while Conte – now at Tottenham – is poised to reach the promised land of Champions League football.
Ronaldo signed a two-year deal at the start of the season, rejoining the club that he departed in 2009 for a world-record transfer to Real Madrid. The 37-year-old has had mixed reviews since his second coming, however, scoring goals but forcing the team to play a different tactical style to accommodate him.
It seems likely that the five-time Ballon d'Or recipient will leave Manchester once more this summer, with United unable to offer their No.7 Champions League football.
More Manchester United stories
Manchester United are reportedly set to make a major u-turn and in fact offer Paul Pogba a new contract – which has apparently upset several of the dressing room.
There are big rumours about a busy summer at Old Trafford: Ten Hag apparently wants to bring three Ajax stars with him to the Premier League, Youri Tielemans is a potential arrival in midfield and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is also on the radar.
‘Pallister had a cracking voice, but Parker, Keane and Irwin were hating it. All of the other lads were shuffling to the back, so I took the pressure off them’: Lee Sharpe recalls recording Man United's No.1 single
‘He instantly popped into our ratings as one of the best U21 midfielders in Europe. The impressive thing is Slot has made him into more of a no.6' Inside Ryan Gravenberch's transformation at Liverpool
