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Cristiano Ronaldo's Man Utd misjudgment backfires as transfer saga rumbles on

mirror.co.uk, 6 July 2022, 04:00
Cristiano Ronaldo is looking to leave Manchester United after just one season at the club, and his earlier misjudgement has come back to haunt him 12 months later Cristiano Ronaldo may now regret his Man Utd return

Manchester United may have finally secured their first signing under Erik ten Hag, but the Dutchman has been handed a huge blow as Cristiano Ronaldo seemingly wants to leave the club.

The signing of Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord has somewhat been overshadowed by Ronaldo's plea to leave the club, and the Portuguese star remains absent from training with his attendance on their pre-season tour now doubtful. It was meant to be a fairy-tale return for Ronaldo last summer, as the five-time Ballon d'Or winner was keen to bring success back to the club he adores.

But less than 12 months later, he already wants to leave United after they failed to secure Champions League football for the upcoming season. And Ronaldo may be seriously regretting his severe lack of judgement that saw him return to Old Trafford.

Ronaldo made a name for himself at United, after being discovered during a pre-season game against Sporting Lisbon back in 2003. Sir Alex Ferguson pulled out all the stops to sign him, and six years later he became the most expensive signing of all-time as Real Madrid splashed £80million.

The Portuguese star went on to achieve incredible success with Madrid before enjoying three years at Juventus, but was left with fond memories of United. Ronaldo held the touching moments with Ferguson and his relationship with the fans close to his heart, and United were still the best team in England when he departed in 2009.

Ronaldo certainly isn't foolish, and the footballing world can see just how far they have fallen since Ferguson left the club. But even Ronaldo can't have realised just how much things have changed at Old Trafford, as he was extremely naïve to the deeper issues that remain at the club.

During his first interview after re-signing for United, Ronaldo said: "I think it's the best decision that I have made it. It's right on point in my opinion.

"I moved from Juve now to Manchester, it's a new chapter, I'm so happy and glad, and I want to carry on again, to make history, to try to help Manchester achieve great results, to win trophies and number one of them, to win great things."

But his 'best decision' may turn out to be one of his worst, as Ronaldo is at risk of fracturing his supposed bulletproof relationship with the fans while forcing a move away, and his salary has reportedly decreased due to a clause in his contact surrounding the club's Champions League status.

Gone are the fierce, resilient United side of the past, and instead is a squad of players that would have been overlooked a decade ago. And with the Glazer ownership proving increasingly toxic with the fans, Ten Hag's project will be no quick fix.

Ronaldo is a brilliant player, one of the best to ever do it, but at 37 time isn't exactly something that he has a lot of at this stage in his career. And the Portuguese star has to be playing in the Champions League to preserve his legacy.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has been linked with unlikely moves to Chelsea and Bayern Munich since his stance became clear, but he is still under contract for one more season at United. This transfer saga is far from over, but so far, it isn't as ugly as it could turn out to be.

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