Cristiano Ronaldo tells Man Utd team-mates he WILL stay despite nightmare season… if new boss Erik ten Hag wants him

CRISTIANO RONALDO has told team-mates he intends to stay at Manchester United — but only if Erik ten Hag wants him.

The Portuguese superstar, 37, wants to see out the final year of his Old Trafford contract despite the Red Devils failing to nab a place in next year’s Champions League.

It was feared without a place in Europe’s biggest competition, Ronaldo would agitate for a move.

But ahead of new boss Ten Hag’s arrival a United insider revealed: “Ronaldo told the players he’s not going anywhere unless the club say they don’t want him.

"No one is more disappointed than him about how the season has panned out.

“But he doesn’t want to leave on a low and wants to help get the club back into the Champions League and try and win a trophy next year.

“However, he has told them if the new boss wants to go in a different direction, then he will have no hard feelings and has no regrets about coming back to Old Trafford.”

Some of the younger first-team squad, including 20-year-old winger Anthony Elanga, are desperate for Ronaldo to stay as they believe they can learn from him.

Ronaldo, who has scored 18 goals in 29 Premier League games this season, is also understood to be keen to remain in the UK as his son Cristiano Jr has settled into life at United’s academy.

And he believes partner Georgina — who previously lived in the UK while working as a nanny prior to meeting him in Madrid — will benefit from stability as they cope with the new arrival of their baby daughter and tragic loss of her twin brother.

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They announced their newborn son had died following complications in childbirth last month, sparking an outpouring of sympathy from football fans across the world.

Ajax boss Ten Hag has suffered a setback in his preparations to take over at United after his first-choice assistant rejected the chance to join him at Old Trafford.

Fred Rutten who worked with Ten Hag at PSV Eindhoven between 2009-12, was the front runner but has opted to link up with Ruud van Nistelrooy back at PSV instead.

Speaking on ESPN Netherlands, Rutten, 59, said: “Erik asked me to be his assistant at Manchester United, I said no. Everyone makes his own choices in life.

 “I have a family, I have grandchildren. I want to see them every now and then.

“At Manchester United, you get on a train and you can’t get off it. I want to feel comfortable in something you step into. That is the case with PSV.”

The  blow to 52-year-old Ten Hag’s plans came just 24 hours after United were humiliated 4-0 at Brighton, with Red Devils legend Rio Ferdinand accusing the players of ‘downing tools’.

Ferdinand insists Ralf Rangnick’s team have “no fight, no character and no desire”.

Furious United fans chanted, “You’re not fit to wear the shirt” during their club’s latest embarrassment at the Amex.

And, speaking on his FIVE podcast, fed-up Ferdinand declared: “We are getting mocked every week.

"We have gone down to Brighton, to the seaside, for a day out. We got pumped and sent back home.

“There is no fight, no character and no desire. People have downed tools. This is a terrible situation.”