Cristiano Ronaldo might have been a nuisance at the end of his second stint at Old Trafford, especially the infamous interview with TalkTv, but his absence has been keenly felt, which resulted in Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag exploring other avenues to bolster his assaulting forces.

The club is actively searching for a new forward who can provide a spark to their attack and has identified several potential options that could help the team reach their goal of becoming one of the top teams in England.

Ten Hag believes the right addition could be the difference between success and failure for the Red Devils, and he is confident the club will find the perfect player to fill the void left by Ronaldo.

Ronaldo said, in the interview with Piers Morgan last month, he felt betrayed by the club and did not respect Ten Hag.

United then announced that the Portugal international, who rejoined the club in August 2021 after winning eight major trophies with them from 2003 to 2009, would leave immediately.

Asked if United were in the market for a new striker, Ten Hag told reporters, "Yes, but only when we find the right player."

"We do everything that is in our power, so I do research on every opportunity that comes. We do everything we can if that opportunity will be there.

"I cannot give comment on specific players, I will never do. I've told you before, in the summer as well, when you talked about a lot of players. Each player is under contract and I respect that, but we make sure we are working in the background to get the right players in."

United next host second-tier Burnley in the EFL Cup on Dec. 21, after the World Cup in Qatar.