Cristiano Ronaldo has learned he is no longer special
Robin Bairner
- 4 Aug 2022 13:52 BST
- 4 min read
Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo is learning the hard way this summer that he is no longer considered a special player.
When once clubs would have been falling over themselves to sign the five-time Ballon d’Or winner, it now appears increasingly inevitable that Ronaldo will be forced to stay at Old Trafford.
This comes amid a backdrop of the player being more unhappy than ever at Man Utd, having been the subject of public criticism from new manager Erik ten Hag.
Related articles
There was, after all, a period when Ronaldo was so important to his team that he seemed above rebuke. At that time, he conducted himself with the utmost professionalism and was a key player in some of the best teams in the world.
By scoring goals for the worst Man Utd side of the Premier League era, he was able to kid himself that he remained a precious commodity. The truth, though, has been made evident in a turbulent period in which he has marginalised himself at his club without any obvious exit strategy.
While he has continued to train hard during the off season, there has been lingering doubt over just how much his absence from pre-season training was a power play against Man Utd and Ten Hag. ‘Personal reasons’ were cited for his absence, yet United also briefed that he had been given permission to leave the club’s 1-1 friendly draw with Rayo Vallecano early only for that to be blown out of the water by the manager in what was surely a calculated broadside on the player.
Where does Ronaldo turn now?
Club after club has distanced itself from signing him, despite a pledge that he is willing to cut his wages by 30% to leave Old Trafford.
It is an ugly and humiliating spectacle for one of the greatest players in history to be hawked around the best clubs in Europe only to have each turn their nose up at him one by one.
Even Atletico Madrid, who are not considered to be among the absolute elite, may struggle to land him amid fan protests that they don’t want him. Head coach Diego Simeone has been threatened with the sack if a deal is done, while the fans have labelled him in “frank decline”.
This is not the hallmark of a player who can any longer be considered unique.
Ronaldo is simply too big a gamble for anyone to take at present. At 37, he represents a short-term solution at best, while his anachronistic style means that teams have to be completely reconstructed around him. Wages are, in part, at least, a smokescreen amid these important factors.
He may yet use this as a motivating factor for the year ahead, but with Ten Hag’s rebuke still ringing in his ears, it must be as evident to Ronaldo as anyone that he is no longer priceless.
