Ronaldo’s on brink at United
club that bringing Ronaldo back after 11 years spent with Real Madrid and Juventus was an error of judgement driven by commercial factors and the determination to stop him joining bitter rivals Manchester City.
Ronaldo was expected to transform the Reds into contenders for the Premier League and Champions League – instead, he has become a sideshow.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked as boss and Ralf Rangnick inherited a squad unable to deliver on his high-energy demands for 90 minutes.
Despite topping United’s goal charts with 15 goals, Ronaldo’s showing signs of wear and tear and his flashes of petulance have undermined both Solskjaer and Rangnick in the dressing room. Ronaldo will not want to miss out on the Champions League – but finding another top club might be a problem.
City’s interest in signing him was driven by their belief that Juve would allow him to leave for free.
But United paid the £13million – and handed the forward a £480,000-aweek contract that makes him the highest-paid player in the Premier League.
The deal also included another potential £8m in add-ons – although United’s struggles on the pitch mean most of them will not be triggered.
United would look to claw back some of their money should Ronaldo ask to leave – and there is no clause in his contract outlining what would happen if they fail to qualify for the Champions League.