As Manchester United get set to secure a long-term centre-forward solution in the summer window, at present the Red Devils have been left to choose between an injury-prone Anthony Martial and a misfiring Wout Weghorst to lead the line.

The former has made just 17 appearances in all competitions this season having yet again proved rather unreliable, while the latter man has scored just twice since his loan arrival from Burnley in January, with the towering Dutchman seemingly "not good enough", according to Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp.

Those striking woes may well have some of a United persuasion ruing the club's decision to part ways with Cristiano Ronaldo back in November, with the Portugal international have seen his contract ripped up by mutual consent following his explosive interview with journalist Piers Morgan.

While there may be undoubted logic in pining for a player who has netted over 700 club career goals, it could be said that the bigger error was made a few months prior to the 38-year-old's exit, as the Red Devils saw fellow veteran Edinson Cavani leave the club on a free.

Should Man United have kept Cavani?

In the case of Ronaldo, on an individual basis the returning hero had enjoyed a stunning 2021/22 campaign after scoring 24 goals in all competitions, although his antics and on-field struggles at the start of this season undoubtedly made his position at the club untenable.

The footballing icon scored just three goals across all fronts prior to his eventual exit after struggling to adjust to the new Erik ten Hag regime, having also proven problematic after leaving early during the win over Tottenham Hotspur in October.

With the aforementioned interview proving the final nail in the coffin, the club simply had to allow the striker to leave for the sake of the harmony in the camp, with ex-United skipper Gary Neville recently going as far as to suggest that even Weghorst has brought more "profit" to the team than that of Ronaldo.

With the latter man's departure having seemingly been the correct call, the same may not be said of Cavani's exit, with the Uruguay international – who has scored seven goals this season for Valencia – likely to have still had an impact for Ten Hag.

The 36-year-old was undoubtedly underwhelming last term after scoring just two goals at the Theatre of Dreams, although by his own admission the former Paris Saint-Germain man would not have signed a new deal at the club, had he known that Ronaldo was to return.

It would be understandable if the one-time Napoli ace was put out by the addition of his fellow forward – who also claimed Cavani's number seven shirt – particularly after shining in his debut campaign in England.

That 2020/21 season saw the experienced ace bag 17 goals and lay on six assists in 39 games in all competitions, notably being hailed as a "genius" by presenter Sam Homewood after scoring a delightful long-range chip against Fulham late in the campaign.

Not just a goalscorer, however, Cavani was also hailed "for the experience he brings to the team and the younger players", as per Luke Shaw, having had "positive influences" on the likes of Marcus Rashford, according to Neville.

The same can seemingly not be said of Ronaldo, who hit out at the club's younger stars when speaking to Morgan for failing to take his lead, while Cavani was also lauded for his impressive "work ethic" by Neville.

Of course, the current Valencia man – who took home a salary of around £250k-per-week in Manchester – did frustrate at times due to his inability to stay fit throughout a campaign, although he likely would have been a useful, less disruptive tool for Ten Hag to have at his disposal, in contrast to Ronaldo.