Manchester United 'draw up four-man shortlist of Cristiano Ronaldo replacements'

Manchester United have reportedly put together a four-man shortlist of potential Cristiano Ronaldo replacements during the January transfer window.

The Red Devils are widely expected to move for a new striker next month, having terminated Ronaldo's contract at the end of November following his criticism of the club during an interview with Piers Morgan.

Man United boss Erik ten Hag could allegedly have as much as £173m to spend during the January market, with a new striker viewed as a priority due to Ronaldo's departure.

According to ESPN, the English side have identified Benfica's Goncalo Ramos, PSV Eindhoven's Cody Gakpo, AC Milan's Rafael Leao and Atletico Madrid's Joao Felix as potential additions.

The report claims that Man United are preparing to approach Benfica to determine whether Ramos would be available for transfer in the middle of the 2022-23 campaign.

© Reuters

The 21-year-old scored three times in four appearances for Portugal at the 2022 World Cup, while he has netted 14 goals and registered six assists in 21 outings at club level this term.

Gakpo, meanwhile, continues to be heavily linked with a switch to Old Trafford, having held talks with the 20-time English champions over the summer market.

A recent report claimed that Man United are the only team to have been in contact with PSV to discuss the possibility of a January deal.

The 23-year-old also impressed for his country at the World Cup, scoring three times in five appearances, as the Netherlands made the quarter-finals of the competition.

Gakpo - also linked with Arsenal and Real Madrid - has also scored 13 goals and registered 17 assists in 24 appearances for his Dutch side during the 2022-23 campaign.

© Reuters

Felix is also being linked with a move to Man United following the breakdown of his relationship with Atletico head coach Diego Simeone.

However, any deal for the Portugal international would be complicated by the fact that his Spanish outfit are said to value him in the region of £87m despite his unhappiness.

Felix scored once and provided two assists in four appearances for his country at the World Cup, while his international teammate Leao managed two goals in five outings.

Leao is also being heavily linked with a move away from AC Milan, with the Italian champions struggling to convince him to sign a new contract at San Siro.

Man United could also move for a new right-back during the winter transfer window, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka widely expected to move on at the start of 2023.