On Friday, Manchester United signed Cristiano Ronaldo and announced that the club had reached an agreement with Italian side Juventus for the transfer of the Portuguese superstar.
The club posted the news on Twitter with a caption reading: “Welcome home, Cristiano”.
Although rumours had started weeks ago but Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri confirmed on Thursday that Ronaldo had asked to leave the club immediately.
Why is Ronaldo leaving Juventus?
Ronaldo’s decision to leave Juventus is mutual. He was already looking for the next big thing since he had only one year remained on his contract.
Last week he put out a long post on his Instagram asking his fans to respect his decision.
For Juventus, the decision is like getting rid of a superstar they were never really geared to fully accommodate.
How did Manchester United swoop in to get him?
Numerous media outlets reported that it took a lot of calls and messages from Sir Alex Ferguson, Bruno Fernandes and ex-Manchester United players to convince Ronaldo to return to United.
And once that happened, it was only a matter of time before the Portuguese captain made up his mind to return to Old Trafford.
This was bound to happen, there was no doubt because Manchester United made an emotional decision to bring back a player with an ample legacy at the club.
Bringing him back – good and bad
At this point, Ronaldo is no longer as fearsome as he used to be in his prime at Real Madrid.
Now, at Manchester United, he might displace Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial as the first-choice striker instantly.
His return will also herald a change in the way United operate on the pitch.
Rather than a team that likes to zip at opposition players with the ball, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will probably change his side to provide for Ronaldo.
Moreover, Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes would have one of the greatest goal scorers in the history of football to pass balls to.
United’s pressing game at the top will also change because of this decision.
Ronaldo has never truly embraced pressing opposition players and to expect a change in that regard at this point of his career, would be foolhardy.
The question will be whether he can score enough to justify the lack of aggravating opposition defenders on the ball.
