In a recent interview with talkSPORT, ex-Premier League midfielder Andy Townsend has urged Manchester City to land Juventus attacker Cristiano Ronaldo as he said, “If you want goals then I think he’s still the ultimate goal machine.
“I know Messi and there has been so much mileage on the debate over the years but I still think Ronaldo still has the desire and want to be remembered as the greatest. He will in some people’s eyes but he won’t in others.
“He’s still got a desire to score goals. More than anything on the field now, he just wants to score goals.
“He’s at that period where his eyes light up every time there’s a free-kick at whatever angle. Whenever he gets the chance to shoot he will. Even when others are better placed, forget that.
“He’s unbelievable in the air, which we’ve seen in a Juventus shirt already.
“If he became available and Juve wanted out on him and Man City needed goals for their team then I don’t think you should hesitate in going to get Cristiano Ronaldo.
“He’s 35 and I still think he’s got 18 months in him. If he came to Man City and the way they play I think he could go there and get 25 in his first season.”
Ronaldo’s Sensational Start To This Serie A Campaign
The 35-year-old has been in fine form for the Turin giants this season after producing a handful of goal-scoring displays as the main component of Andrea Pirlo’s attack. Ronaldo has banged in six goals and provided one assist in five appearances for the Italian outfit this term across multiple competitions. However, he is currently out of action with an ankle injury.
The former Manchester United winger has shown a lot of hunger to score goals as he is averaging 5.3 shots, 0.8 key passes and 0.8 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Serie A. However, he has been far from impressive with his ball-distribution as evidenced by his pass success rate of 78.9% in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
What Will The Experienced Portuguese International Add To Guardiola’s Team?
Ronaldo will go down in the history books as one of the best players of his generation. He can still showcase a sudden burst of speed to get past his marker in the final third and is proficient at generating space to get a few shots in on-target.
Even though his assist numbers have gone down over the past few years, yet the Portuguese superstar can still be a prolific goal-scorer at the highest level. He remains an unforgiving finisher in front of goal but at 35, father time is catching up with his game.
Should Man City Get Ronaldo On Board?
With Sergio Aguero inching closer towards the end of his Man City career, Pep Guardiola could choose to listen to Townsend’s advice by getting Ronaldo on board in place of the Argentine striker. The Juve frontman will add plenty of goals to Man City’s frontline and would serve as an ideal back-up to Gabriel Jesus over the next few seasons.
However, it will be far from easy to convince Ronaldo to make a switch to the blue half of Manchester when he is already considered by many as a Man United legend. Joining Man City this late in his career won’t do the Portuguese captain’s image any good. Still, if Guardiola can lure him to the Etihad Stadium by offering him a lucrative short-term contract, then he should consider doing so as Ronaldo could potentially help Man City end their long wait for a UEFA Champions League title.
