How Arsenal would line up with Ronaldo
Stuart Telford
- Updated: 20 Jul 2022 06:37 CDT
- 3 min read
Piers Morgan is trying to persuade Cristiano Ronaldo to join Arsenal. How would the Gunners line up with the Portuguese superstar in their ranks?
Ronaldo returned to Manchester United last summer and plundered 18 Premier League goals, but United could only finish sixth and their failure to qualify for the Champions League has left the five-time Ballon d'Or winner in a quandary.
At 37, there is only so much time left in his career to add to his five Champions League triumphs (one with United, four with Real Madrid), and agent Jorge Mendes has been busy sounding out alternative employers in recent weeks.
Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain were among the clubs linked with a move - each have decided against - but Ronaldo could have an alternative in Arsenal, although the Gunners, like United, will have to settle for Europa League football next term.
"Arsenal fans listening should know I'm doing everything in my power to try and persuade him to come to Arsenal," Morgan said on TalkSport last month.
"And bearing in mind he was close to coming to Arsenal as an 18-year-old, he was about to sign under Arsene Wenger, and at the last minute he blitzed United in a friendly for Sporting Lisbon and Ferguson didn't leave that game until he signed him.
"I believe he'd be coming home! Him up front with Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah would be a fantastic forward line for us, so why not?"
How would Arsenal fit Ronaldo in?
Morgan is a renowned Arsenal fan, but whether Mikel Arteta will accept his tactical nous remains to be seen.
Arsenal lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in 27 of their 38 Premier League games last season, and it seems fair to assume Arteta will look to implement something similar in 2022/23.
It would certainly suit summer arrivals like the aforementioned Jesus, and his fellow former Manchester City teammate Oleksandr Zinchenko, who is about to follow him to the Emirates.
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Zinchenko's profile suits Arteta's favoured formation. A left-footer first signed as a midfielder for City, he could replace the much-maligned Granit Xhaka in the middle of the park, whilst also providing cover for the injury-prone Kieran Tierney at left-back.
Further forward, Jesus might have fancied being the focal point of their attack after his €53m move from Manchester - and three goals in two pre-season games suggest he would be good for it - but the Brazilian also has plenty of experience lining up in deeper and wider positions, having done it for Sergio Aguero for much of his five-year City spell.
And Ronaldo simply has to lead the line. Long gone are the days when he was that tricky winger Wenger was so keen to sign. At 37, he was in the lowest percentile for pressures league-wide last season. Much better to allow the youthful Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard et al to do the running.
