RONALDO'S ANNOUNCEMENT.
Cristiano Ronaldo's shock transfer to Manchester United was undoubtedly one of the standout moves of this quite amazing window. For a brief few hours on the day of Ronaldo's announcement regarding his departure from Juventus, it seemed the Portuguese man was set to shatter every United fans heart and admiration as City became the early frontrunners for his signature. It was the first of many topics of discussion stemming from this saga, with Ronaldo's move away from Italy seemingly a title envisioned switch, as expected. City and Pep Guardiola seemed like the perfect destination for Ronaldo to magnify his accolades in the game even further, but a huge twist was on the cards. Members of Manchester United hierarchy became increasingly concerned that Ronaldo was in jeopardy of tarnishing his reputation with the United faithful. Sir Alex Ferguson was believed to be the driving force behind Ronaldo's change of heart, probably the only man in world football who could divert such a decision. United had portrayed their long-lasting allegiance to five time Ballon d'Or winner and has snatched him away from their arch rivals in truly dramatic circumstances.
RONALDO'S PATH TO GREATNESS.
Ronaldo's initial intentions however cannot be overly labelled as a betrayal. He owes nothing to Manchester United after his illustrious six year tenure at the club. During that time he scored 84 goals under Sir Alex, helping the Red Devils to a Champions League triumph and three Premier League titles. A year before his eventual departure, Ronaldo also picked up the prestigious Ballon d'Or for his breathtaking '08 season with United. What followed was a £80 million move to Real Madrid where Ronaldo cemented his reputation and went on to become arguably the greatest ever player to step on a football pitch. For the Galácticos, he scored an outlandish 311 goals in 292 games, whilst along the way picking up four Champions Leagues, two La Liga titles, two Spanish cups, three Club World Cups and three UEFA Super Cups. He also added four more Ballon d'Or's to his growing collecting of personal feats. Trophies rained over Real Madrid while Ronaldo was present and Juventus were hoping for the same effect when they signed him in 2018 for £88 million. As we have learned, the move did not materialize how Juventus had hoped, with their main priority being Champions League glory. This unfulfilled and in truth, Juventus never even came close to the final hurdle, crashing out to Ajax in 2019 Lyon in 2020 and then Porto in 2021. Not exactly world-beaters, and time was seemingly up for Ronaldo and Juventus' love affair. It was no fault of Ronaldo's, who enjoyed a sensational run of goals in Turin, scoring 81 in 98. His ability and goal scoring prowess never deteriorated, but the trophies certainly eased up for his standards, and Ronaldo sought his fortunes elsewhere.
THE DILEMMA IN MANCHESTER.
Having experienced a quite torrid time in Turin in terms of European glory, nobody can blame Ronaldo for opting away from Italy. Manchester City or PSG seemed the likely destinations early on in the rumours, but with Lionel Messi joining the latter, Ronaldo must have felt only one trophy winning juggernaut remained. Before the stunning twist, Ronaldo and his agent Jorge Mendes wanted a club who could match Ronaldo's superiority and deliver a team capable of winning Europe's prized tournament. City seemed like the perfect candidates, but Ronaldo seemed to abandon his preference for dominance and instead move to the club where it all began, hoping to re-ignite the sleeping beast that is Manchester United. Since Ferguson's exit, United have failed to win the Premier League or Champions League, a daunting prospect that even Ronaldo must find distasteful. There's no doubt Ronaldo wishes to see Manchester United back on top, with his return suggesting that he'll be the main role in leading United to rule once again. The move has touched the hearts of every United fan and created this sensational situation where it's almost written in the stars that Ronaldo will bring United glory, but there are so many flaws. Sir Alex Ferguson must be primarily bestowed the honor of paving United's path to glory, and the clubs immediate downfall following hos retirement highlights his influence. United survived without Ronaldo in 2009, winning two Premier League titles before Ferguson's retirement in 2013. Since then, 8 long years have dragged on for United, where they have only managed to pick up a Europa League, an FA Cup and an EFL Cup. Not a cabinet United fans have been particularly proud of. Deep in Ronaldo's mind, he knew United were struggling and having seen them occupy four managers in the post-Ferguson era, trophies, especially the most prestigious, seem unlikely. Can Ronaldo act as the primary catalyst to turn the fortunes in Manchester? His signing has definitely granted Ole Gunnar Solskjær the ultimatum of it's now or never. There can be no more excuses for Ole and his team with the introduction of one of the best players of our generation, regardless of his emotional connection to the club. There's no doubt Ronaldo will score an array of goals and will also add a new edge to the United dressing room, but the end result is the big question and if United are to return to English or European triumph, the time is now.
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