Cristiano Ronaldo announces his Man Utd comeback
Stuart Telford
- Updated: 30 Jul 2022 02:48 CDT
- 3 min read
Cristiano Ronaldo has confirmed that he will take part in Manchester United's final pre-season game against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.
Ronaldo has been posted missing from United's pre-season campaign so far, not making their trips to Thailand and Australia to take on Liverpool, Melbourne Victory and Crystal Palace, with personal reasons cited by the club as the reason why.
However, the Portuguese legend has since been linked with a move to a host of European clubs; ones who - unlike United - have qualified for the Champions League this season and therefore would give Ronaldo the platform to add to his record 140 goals in that competition.
Cristiano Ronaldo has finally responded to transfer rumours 🤐https://t.co/4wjwQG75FB
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) July 29, 2022
But with Chelsea, Bayern Munich and others distancing themselves from any speculation linking them with a move for Ronaldo, the 37-year-old had already hit back at reports suggesting that he was unwanted by Europe's elite.
"Impossible not to talk about me [for] one day," he wrote on Instagram. "Otherwise the press makes no money. You know that if you don't lie you can’t get people's attention. Keep going [so] that one day you get some news right."
Ronaldo has since gone one better for Red Devils fans, again using the social media platform to confirm his return.
Return of the King
"Sunday, the king plays," he wrote in Portuguese.
United play Atletico Madrid - another club linked with Ronaldo this summer - in Oslo on Saturday, before completing their pre-season schedule against Ray Vallecano at Old Trafford on Sunday, and Ronaldo is expected to lead the line despite Anthony Martial's three goals so far this summer.
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Ronaldo has scored 12 goals in just nine career games against Vallecano and adding to that record - friendly or not - should settle nerves for all involved at Man Utd.
New manager Erik ten Hag has maintained all along that Ronaldo is part of his plans, and Ronaldo regaining the form that saw him score 18 Premier League goals last season would give him a welcome selection headache.
