MX23RW : Wednesday, January 29 06:00:25| >> :120:34738:34738:

Erik ten Hag 'instructs Manchester United to move for Rafael Leao, Cody Gakpo'

Ten Hag 'instructs Man United to move for Leao, Gakpo'
© Reuters
AC Milan's Rafael Leao and PSV Eindhoven's Cody Gakpo are targets for Manchester United following Cristiano Ronaldo's exit, according to a report.

Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag is reportedly determined to sign both AC Milan's Rafael Leao and PSV Eindhoven's Cody Gakpo following Cristiano Ronaldo's departure.

Ronaldo had a contract at Old Trafford until next June, but the 37-year-old was released by the club last week following his explosive comments to Piers Morgan during an interview on TalkTV.

The Portugal international's exit has left the Red Devils short of options in the final third of the field, with Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford now the only two recognised first-team centre-forwards.

Gakpo continues to be strongly linked with Man United, having spoken to Ten Hag over a possible move to Old Trafford during the summer transfer window.

A recent report claimed that the Red Devils have reached an agreement in principle to bring the Netherlands international to the club during the January transfer window.

Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo celebrates scoring against Ecuador in their World Cup game on November 25, 2022..© Reuters

However, according to ESPN, Leao is also a target for the 20-time English champions, with the Portuguese potentially leaving Milan during next summer's market.

The 23-year-old - also thought to be wanted by Chelsea and Manchester City - has scored seven goals and registered nine assists in 20 appearances for Milan during the 2022-23 campaign.

Leao also scored in Portugal's World Cup opener against Ghana last week, and he only has a contract at San Siro until the summer of 2024, which has increased the speculation surrounding his future.

Chelsea are thought to have had at least one bid rejected for the forward during the summer window, with the Blues believed to be preparing to reignite their interest next year.

Leao has scored 34 goals and 30 assists in 135 appearances for Milan since his arrival from Lille, helping the club win the 2021-22 Serie A title.

AC Milan's Rafael Leao celebrates scoring their second goal on October 25, 2022© Reuters

Gakpo, meanwhile, has scored twice in two appearances for the Netherlands at the 2022 World Cup, netting in their opener against Senegal before also registering against Ecuador last time out.

The 23-year-old entered the tournament off the back of a strong start to the season for PSV, finding the back of the net on nine occasions in 14 Eredivisie appearances, in addition to contributing 12 assists.

The Dutchman also netted twice and provided two assists in five Europa League appearances, and he is widely expected to leave Eindhoven either in January or next summer.

Man United had reportedly initially been looking to wait until the end of the campaign to boost their squad, but Ronaldo's exit has saved the club around £500,000 a week in wages, which could be used to bring in a couple of high-profile players during the winter market.

ID:500682:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect5527:
Written by
Matt Law

Rafael Leao future - Click here for more stories

Click here for more stories about Marcus Rashford

Click here for more stories about Manchester United

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Lille's Jonathan David during the warm up before the match on January 22, 2022
Read Next:
Manchester United 'learn Jonathan David asking price'
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool22165154213353
2Arsenal23138244212347
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest2313553327644
4Manchester CityMan City23125647301741
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle23125641271441
6Chelsea23117545301540
7Bournemouth23117541261540
8Aston Villa2310763435-137
9Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2381053531434
10Fulham238963431333
11Brentford2394104240231
12Manchester UnitedMan Utd2385102832-429
13Crystal Palace236982630-427
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham2376102844-1627
15Tottenham HotspurSpurs2373134637924
16Everton225891928-923
17Leicester CityLeicester2345142549-2417
18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2344153252-2016
19Ipswich TownIpswich2337132147-2616
20Southampton2313191653-376


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!