Cristiano Ronaldo made his romantic return when he chose to move back to Manchester United in this summer transfer window. The Portuguese international was picked up from Juventus after his three-year stint in Serie A.
Manchester United have not been able to win any trophies after the sacking of the previous manager Jose Mourinho. The club has made a statement going out and signing the likes of Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho this summer. However, it is the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo that have made the headlines.
But is Cristiano Ronaldo the right signing for Manchester United, or is the 36-year-old a poor investment. Should Manchester United have stepped away from the dream or can Ronaldo end the Red Devils trophy drought?
RONALDO TO BRING MORE GOALS TO MANCHESTER UNITED
Let us be clear, even at 36 Ronaldo is one of the best finishers in the world and is consistently providing 20 plus goals a season in the leagues. The last time he failed to score more than 20 goals in the league was in the 2008/09 season, his last season with United.
Ronaldo is extremely deadly in front of the goal, always being at the right place at the right time. His shot numbers are incredible averaging more than 6.3 per game in his career.
He has already scored 5 goals for Manchester United since his return from his 6 appearances. This includes his winner against Villareal in the Champions League in the final minutes of the match.
Manchester United have been lacking a goalscorer in the team who can provide guaranteed goals every season. The last time the Red Devils had a player score more than 20 goals in the season was in the 2012/13 season when Robin Van Persie scored 26. Goals are vital for teams to challenge for titles and Ronaldo does bring them in plenty.
WINNING MENTALITY
But Ronaldo is not just about goals. Yes, the Portugues has lost some of his pace and trickery that saw him torment the defenders in the wing. Unlike his previous stint with Manchester United, Ronaldo has shifted more towards the centre of the field and is not the central creator anymore.
However, the five-time Ballon Dor winner brings a winning mentality to the young United team. Ronaldo is a serial winner having won everything at club level. 5 Champions League titles, 2 La Liga titles, 2 Serie A titles and 3 Premier League is in addition to multiple other Cups he has won in his career.
His leadership and drive are also visible on the international stage, where he captained the Portuguese side to their first and only European Championship as well as the Nations League title. Ronaldo can bring this winning mentality to the United squad that has lacked such a presence in the last few seasons.
With the likes of Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood leading the United attack, the presence of Ronaldo can be very impactful. His levels of fitness and commitment to put in the work have already become a motivation for others to improve themselves. Many players have already admitted to the difference in intensity that Ronaldo has bought into the training.
COMMERCIAL IMPACT OF CR7
Ronaldo is one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen. He is a brand in himself and this surely rubs on to where he is playing as well. The 36-year-old is the most followed person on Instagram in the whole world, showing the popularity the Portuguese have. This was evident during his move to Juventus, which drove a record shirt sale as well as a massive social media following for the Serie A side.
Thus from an economic standpoint, the move for Ronaldo is never a mistake for United. Ronaldo brings in his fans and Manchester United surely milked the signing by utilising their social media accounts to the maximum. The club has already seen massive growth in its reach as well as record shirt sales.
Manchester United also stand to gain from the sponsorship and marketing deals the company can have in the coming season. Every brand would love to associate with someone like Ronaldo and hence he will surely generate more commercial gains for the club.
CRISTIANO RONALDO MOVE A DREAM COME TRUE FOR MANCHESTER UNITED FANS
Finally and most importantly signing Ronaldo is more emotional for the club and the fans. The Portuguese captain is the prodigal son who has returned to the club after winning everything there is. His reunion is a story that all the football fans wanted to see, especially the United fans.
By bringing in Ronaldo, the club hierarchy was able to turn the mood around many of the fans. One must remember that the club owners The Glazers were facing a lot of scrutiny on how they were handling the club. United’s attempt to join the failed European Super League has also upset the fans. Signing United in a sense has been successful in hiding some of the problems.
Ronaldo brings in the fans. It is important for United, especially since the fans are finally allowed to get back into the stadium. The presence of someone like Ronaldo will pull in more fans to the stadium, helping in generating more match-day revenues. For the fans, there is a belief that CR7 will be able to finally end their trophy drought and compete in all ends.
It is still too early to decide if signing Cristiano Ronaldo was a mistake or a masterstroke. The Portuguese has surely brought more belief into the team and not to mention the goals. But ultimately the success of his return to the Theatre of Dreams will be judged on the number of trophies he can win with his club.
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