Cristiano Ronaldo is without a doubt one of the greatest players of all time, but Manchester United signing him now is just silly.
The Portuguese forward has been linked with a return to Old Trafford once again with Juventus apparently ready to let him go. On the face of it, the move makes sense.
Despite his advanced years, Ronaldo is still one of the game’s very best. He has six goals in just four Serie A appearances this season and is still a vital player for Italy’s best team.
However, a return to Manchester for their prodigal son could be a disastrous mismanagement of resources.
In Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, United already have two top-class forwards who like to cut off the left onto their right foot. Ronaldo coming in makes an already crowded left flank untenable. He could, of course, line up on the right flank as he did under Sir Alex Ferguson, however again there are issues.
Ronaldo is not the same player he was in his first spell at Old Trafford. That’s not to say he isn’t an elite player, but his profile has certainly changed. From a tricky winger, using his pace to beat a man, he has now adapted his game.
He’s now at his best playing much further infield, more of a poacher than ever before. This simply isn’t the profile forward that Manchester United needs right now.
He would also require a herculean level of resource expenditure. His wages alone at Juventus reportedly total over half a million pounds per week. This isn’t even counting the transfer fees, agents fees and other expenses related to his signing.
If United were looking for that final missing piece to be title and Champions League challengers, then fair enough. But they’re not.
Their attack is lacking a natural right winger for a start. For all of their number eights, 32-year-old Nemanja Matic is still by far their best defensive midfielder. Their defence as shown against Istanbul Basaksehir and Spurs is highly inconsistent.
Spending hundreds of millions of pounds on a position where they have two international players would be a spectacular waste of resources.
Of course, it’d be great to see Ronaldo return to the Premier League. Despite his age, he’s still a phenomenon and a thrill to watch. However, a return for the prodigal son to Manchester simply doesn’t work.
