According to a report by Marca, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has been urged to bring back Cristiano Ronaldo. It is understood that the five times Ballon D’or winner is unhappy with Manchester United since they failed to qualify for the Champions League last season. It is rumoured that Ronaldo is looking to move away, but the Red Devils won’t easily sanction his exit.
Ronaldo’s Campaign With Manchester United Last Season
Ronaldo had a successful spell at Old Trafford last season after he produced some solid displays being the focal point of United’s attack. He scored 18 goals and produced three assists over 30 appearances last season, proving that he’s still a world-class finisher.
The 189 times Portugal international is showing no signs of stopping in his tracks as he averaged 3.8 shots, 1.3 key passes and 2.0 dribbles per game in the Premier League.
He has also been tidy with his ball distribution after completing 85.7% of his attempted passes in the top tier of English football (stats via whoscored).
Should Real Madrid Bring Him Back?
A decade of pure excellence and industrial quantity of goals is what can be seen if we look back at Ronaldo’s career with Los Blancos. Arguably the world’s best footballer has been through a series of disappointments with the clubs he’s played for recently. Last year Ronaldo’s summer ended with a last-minute agreement to sign for Manchester United and his arrival paved the way for the Red Devils to have a crack at Champions League football to reclaim their title in Europe. However, despite Ronaldo performing at his best, the club did not achieve their goals and found themselves struggling to secure a top-four finish.
On the other hand, Madrid have done well to bring the Champions League trophy to Santiago Bernabeu, reclaiming the title of being the best football club in the world. Failing to secure Kylian Mbappe and the departure of Gareth Bale takes us to the conclusion that they have money to spend. This means that they have the necessary funding to secure Ronaldo this off-season.
While Manchester United go through an overhaul with Erik Ten Hag as the newly appointed manager, Ronaldo’s future at the club remains uncertain due to two primary reasons. One is Ten Hag’s tactics that involve a 4-3-3 formation in a fast-paced football with pressing and possession, which does not accommodate Ronaldo’s abilities. Whereas the other reason is Champions League football and the uncertainty of the Red Devils qualifying for it surrounded by new faces. Thus, Los Blancos could capitalise on this situation, and Perez could bring back Ronaldo to Santiago Bernabeu, which would see him reunite with Ancelotti and his old teammates.
