Erik ten Hag 'wants Vinicius Junior as Cristiano Ronaldo replacement'

Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has reportedly identified Real Madrid attacker Vinicius Junior as the ideal replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Red Devils are said to be working to terminate Ronaldo's contract following the 37-year-old's shock interview with Piers Morgan, which aired on TalkTV last week.

The Portugal international is widely expected to leave the club after the World Cup, which will lead to Man United entering the market for a replacement, most likely next summer rather than in January.

According to El Nacional, Ten Hag is desperate to bring Vinicius to Old Trafford, viewing the Brazil international as a player capable of starring for the club in the coming years.

The report claims that the Man United head coach has been in touch with the attacker urging him to reject the chance to sign a new deal at Real Madrid in order to make the switch to Manchester.

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The Red Devils have allegedly promised the Brazilian that he would receive 'a much higher salary' at the club, and they would also be prepared to hand him the number seven shirt.

There has been a host of speculation surrounding a potential new deal for the forward at Bernabeu, but there has still not been an official announcement on his future.

As a result, Vinicius currently only has a deal until June 2024, which has led to Man United stepping up their interest in a bid to convince him not to commit his future to the Spanish and European champions.

However, the South American said back in June that he would be staying in Madrid.

"I will stay in the world's biggest club. This is only the beginning, I have many things to achieve and I hope I can tell them all when my career ends," he told Sport TV.

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Vinicius has again been in impressive form for Real Madrid during the 2022-23 campaign, contributing 10 goals and registering five assists in 21 appearances in all competitions.

The forward has managed six goals and three assists in 14 La Liga outings, while he netted four times and registered one assist in six Champions League group-stage games.

Vinicius joined Real Madrid from Flamengo in July 2018, and he has represented the capital giants on 191 occasions in all competitions, contributing 46 goals and 48 assists in the process.

The attacker is currently with the Brazil squad at the World Cup, with Tite's side set to open their Group G campaign against Serbia on Thursday.