Manchester United have been told that their “only viable option” could be to pay up Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract this summer after the Portuguese forward was dropped for the Red Devils’ 2-1 win over Liverpool on Monday evening.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner reportedly asked the club’s chiefs earlier in the transfer window to consider any serious offers for the 37-year-old, but so far has struggled to find a move to a Champions League club.

Ronaldo came off the bench in the 86th minute against Liverpool in place of goalscorer Marcus Rashford, and former Everton winger Kevin Kilbane has suggested that the club may need to pay up to £30 million ($35 million) to end the transfer saga and release Ronaldo from his contract.

“Cristiano Ronaldo, it just seems to be that United have got to pay him up,” Kilbane told Off the Ball. “If they want him out of the door, if he is not going to go quietly just pay him up. They are paying over the odds on transfer fees, it seems for everyone that goes into the club by £20-30 million ($23-35 million)

“That’s probably the amount they are going to have to pay Ronaldo up to go. If they are going to get rid of him, that seems to be the only viable option I think. Pay him up, make Ronaldo a free [agent] and then there will be suitors around Europe to take him.”

Despite rumours linking Ronaldo away from Old Trafford this summer, United boss Erik ten Hag has said that he has not been told by the forward that he wants to leave the club. The striker claimed that he would give an interview at the end of the transfer window to clarify his stance.

“I don’t know what he wants to achieve with that so if you want to know that you have to ask him,” Ten Hag told Sky Sports regarding the potential Ronaldo interview. “That’s not what he’s telling us. We plan with him.”

Bruno Fernandes dropped a hint on Ronaldo’s future after the win over Liverpool. “Cristiano Ronaldo’s future? I may know one thing or another, I won’t be the one who will say it,” Fernandes told Eleven Sports. “For now he’s a United player, he’s quiet – if he’s going to leave or if he won’t leave, he will speak soon as he said”.

Despite being dropped for United’s first Premier League win of the season, Ronaldo took to social media to post a message to the fans. “Well done @manchesterunited. Thank you for your support, Old Trafford,” Ronaldo wrote.

The striker has only started one league game this season, the 4-0 defeat away to Brentford, and could find himself on the bench once again away to Southampton on Saturday after a strong performance from the United starters against Liverpool.