Erik ten Hag has ordered Man Utd to sign his favorite striker from Bayern Munich

Manchester United may find it difficult to sign Erik ten Hag’s chosen Cristiano Ronaldo replacement.

Manchester United may have to pay a high price for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, as Bayern Munich is preparing to offer Cameroon forward a lucrative new contract. Erik ten Hag’s main aim to replace Cristiano Ronaldo in January is supposedly the 33-year-old, but he may be priced out of a move for the star as the Bundesliga champions want to keep him at the Allianz Arena.

Choupo-Moting emerged as a target for United this month as the club started to look to a future without Ronaldo. This was before the Portugal captain’s tell-all interview with Piers Morgan which resulted in his contract being terminated by mutual consent earlier this week. The search for his successor has since intensified with the focus increasingly on the Bayern star given his participation in the World Cup for Cameroon.

The forward is not an automatic starter for the Bundesliga champions but he has performed admirably whenever he has been called upon. He has netted 11 goals in 16 appearances in all competitions despite seeing just 852 minutes of match action.

According to ESPN, Choupo-Moting was the club’s top target to replace the departing Ronaldo, and hopes were high that he may arrive in January on a cheap deal with his contract expiring at the end of the season. These aspirations, however, may be put on hold soon, as Bild reports that Bayern Munich is preparing to give him a new contract.

The player is paid roughly £3 million per year by the Bundesliga leaders, and they are willing to pay him more to keep him. Fresh talks are not likely to take place until February, giving United a window of opportunity to capitalize on the current position.