Top five reasons why Manchester United need Cristiano Ronaldo

The Portuguese legend has agreed to come back to the Red Devils after 12 years.

Manchester United have confirmed the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo in what is an unbelievable outcome of the transfer window. The former Real Madrid player was open to signing for Manchester City after deciding to leave Juventus, but United made a late swoop and secured the dream reunion. The €25m deal will see Ronaldo come back to where he became one of the best in the world.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be relishing the prospect of working with Ronaldo, after being a teammate of his during his playing days. The 20-time Premier League champions recently signed Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane in the summer transfer window.

Having said that, the following five reasons outline why Manchester United need Cristiano Ronaldo and how he will be an asset:

5. A reliable striker

The ambitions of Manchester United have been to win a trophy after good strides in terms of rebuilding the squad. Anthony Martial seems to have lost his mojo and Edinson Cavani has struggled with injuries. The latter was given an extended holiday due to his involvement at the Copa America 2020. However, Cavani has not played any games this season and could miss a further eight if he were to represent Uruguay in the upcoming international break.

The Red Devils cannot afford their striker to miss these many games. However, now with the recruitment of Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United have the perfect figure to lead the attack. Even though he is 36, he topped the the Serie A scoring charts last season with 29 goals, a tally even greater than Romelu Lukaku. Although it will be 12 years since Ronaldo last played in the Premier League, his experience will come in handy.

4. The elusive Premier League win

The impending arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United could elevate the side even more. The outfit houses some of the best attacking talents in the world already like Marcus Rashford, Bruno Fernandes, Jadon Sancho and more. Incidentally, the Red Devils have not won the league since 2013, but will increase their chances of lifting the crown again.

The 36-year-old could lead United’s charge in the league for at least two more years. This will help the outfit perform well in the domestic competitions also, in addition to the league. Ronaldo’s arrival will immediately make MUFC strong favourites to win a title in the the 2021/22 season. 

3. Statement of intent

The summer transfer window of 2021 has been absolutely wild. Nobody expected Lionel Messi to leave his boyhood club and join PSG. Ronaldo is the only player who could have matched the hype created by Messi’s departure. The world of football has come to a standstill as Juventus have agreed to sell the Portuguese for a fee in the region of €25m.

This is a statement of intent by United to their domestic and European competitors. The clubs around them made vital signings like Jack Grealish to Manchester City and Romelu Lukaku to Chelsea. However, signing Ronaldo definitely trumps those moves when it comes to anticipation and downright market potential.

2. The dream team

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is set to become a figure who has played with and coached Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester united. The former Cardiff City manager has done a good job by stabling the sinking ship since his arrival. The Norwegian has performed with aplomb in terms of rebuilding the squad and imbibing attacking football in the lineup.

Solskjaer is building his reputation in football and working with Ronaldo is the stuff of dreams. It will also be an interesting watch to see players like Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Edinson Cavani, Mason Greenwood and Paul Pogba among others combine with the Portuguese. 

1. UEFA Champions League pedigree

Manchester United have not won the elusive UEFA Champions League since the 2007/08 season. Their performance on the European stage has not been upto the mark, apart from the UEFA Europa League win in 2016/17. On the other hand, Cristiano Ronaldo is perhaps the greatest player to grace the competition. He will certainly look to re-lift the UCL title with the club he did it with for the first time.

In terms of numbers, Ronaldo is a force to reckon with. He has played 176 UCL games, one behind Iker Casillas' record 177 appearances. The Portuguese has won 112 and has 134 goals in the competition, which is a record. Most importantly, Ronaldo has won the UCL title five times. They last reached the final in the 2008/09 season, but lost to FC Barcelona.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.