Why Ronaldo could leave Man Utd after just one season
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 9 Nov 2021 10:34 CST
- 4 min read
Cristiano Ronaldo's hero return to Manchester United has been a strange one.
On one hand, he's come up clutch with countless, crucial late winners already, bailing out Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but on the other hand, he wasn't someone the club needed.
Taking a look at the former of these points, and Ronaldo has been in a typically emphatic goal-scoring mood since moving back to the club.
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He has scored nine goals in 12 games in all competitions, including five in four Champions League matches. Those goals have more often than not been decisive, and it almost seems inevitable that if Man Utd need a late goal, it'll be Ronaldo who scores it.
However, the other side of the coin is that he doesn't work in this side. His goals have added great value, but the rest of his game hasn't. The idea that he doesn't press is fully justified - Ronaldo's 5.14 pressures per 90 ranks last of Premier League forwards with over 300 minutes, and is in the bottom 1% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues for pressures - and when he does press, it hinders the team.
That is mostly Solsjkaer's fault, because of his inability to set-up a pressing team, but Ronaldo is easily bypassed when he does press, which leaves opponents able to play with essentially a man advantage until he falls into shape.
Furthermore, Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial, and Edinson Cavani have rarely been afforded minutes through the middle thanks to Ronaldo's presence, and Man Utd chose a fairytale reunion signing, in Ronaldo, over the true priority which is a defensive midfielder.
However, not only did they choose the wrong target in the summer, the man they put so much faith in, Ronaldo, could leave in 2022.
That is what The Express are reporting.
What has been said?
Ronaldo's desire to win has been a fundamental part of his career, and it hasn't stopped now. He said this upon re-joining the Old Trafford club: "This is why I am here. I am not here for a vacation. As I told you, before was good, winning important things and I wore the shirt before many years ago, but I am here to win again.
"I am capable, me and my team-mates. I am ready to go, I am ready to go. It is a good chance for me, for the supporters, for the club, to get one step ahead.
"I am ready and I think I will be a huge thing in the next three or four years."
In terms of goals, Ronaldo has lived up to those expectations, but he's been let down by the manager.
Furthermore, with Antonio Conte joining Spurs, Arsenal improving, and West Ham showing no signs of slowing down, the race for the top four looks even more intense, and there's no guarantee that Man Utd make it.
If things continue as they are for Man Utd, then they'll face an upward battle to secure Champions League football for next year, and if they don't, then Ronaldo could leave.
Of course, that's only speculation, but at 36, Ronaldo only has a few years left at the highest level, and he won't want to spend those playing in the Europa League - he will want to be competing for the Champions League.
So, if Man Utd can't offer him that chance, his attention may turn elsewhere.
His contract at Old Trafford expires in 2023, so if next summer he wants to leave, then it may not cost too much to prise him away from Man Utd with just one year left to run.
It may seem far-fetched, but Ronaldo arguably has one shot left at another Champions League in his career, and it doesn't look like he'll have a chance with Man Utd, so a move could be on the cards if things don't improve.
This season is still far from over, and Man Utd have every chance of finishing inside the top four, but the danger of failing to achieve that could be costly when it comes to their elder statesman up front.
