THE PREM ERA 89£12.85m
Juventus to Manchester United
Summer 2021
Twelve years after leaving Old Trafford to
join Real Madrid for a world-record transfer
fee, the Portuguese superstar returned to
the Premier League. Yet despite the fanfare
that greeted him, not everyone felt it was
the right move.
Words: Jonathan Wilson
The arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo in the
transfer window has generated a clear
spike in positivity at Manchester United.
To an extent that’s understandable,
especially when the alternative seemed
to be Ronaldo turning out for “noisy
neighbours” Manchester City. Even if he
had been a failure there – and it’s hard to
see how he could have fitted comfortably
into a Pep Guardiola side – it would have
tarnished the memories of his six seasons
at Old Trafford, when he helped United
to three league titles and a Champions
League crown.
But there is surely a major warning in
Juventus’ willingness to let a player they
signed for a fee of€100 million leave
for just€15 million.
If Ronaldo seems a better fit for United
than City, it is only because their style is
less defined. He will score goals. Ronaldo
remains brilliant at creating and converting
chances and is arguably the best attacking
header of the ball in the world. The stats
suggest that, in his final season atJuventus,
he did begin to drop deeper again, and
become slightly more than just a penalty-
box striker, but still, Ronaldo’s contribution
to the play as a whole is limited.
In addition, Ronaldo doesn’t press.
He never really has, but the tendency has
become starker recently. Last season he
was in the bottom one per cent of forward
players for pressures in the final third. Other
than Ronaldo’s Real Madrid, no non-
pressing team has won the Champions
League in the past decade. Recently, as
Lionel Messi’s contributions in that regard
have waned, Barcelona have struggled
against elite sides, suffering heavy defeats
toJuventus, Liverpool, Bayern Munich and
Paris Saint-Germain in recent seasons.
Juve’s problems in the Champions League
have been a direct result of the lack
of protection afforded their midfield,
causing it to become stretched.
Then there is the impact Ronaldo has
on the rest of the squad. The evidence of
Portugal suggests he and Bruno Fernandes
do not necessarily link up well – and will
Ronaldo allow somebody else to take the
penalties? Fernandes scored13 times from
the spot last season, missing just once.
Having already signedJadon Sancho
and Raphael Varane to augment an alreadyhighly-gifted squad, United have great
individuals, and they will win games because
they have excellence in both boxes. But the
question is whether they will win sufficient
games, and whether they will win the biggest
games. Last season’s Europa League finalagainst Villarreal was a classic example of
how they can be frustrated – and ultimately
beaten – by an ostensibly weaker team able
to frustrate them in midfield.
It’s hard to see how Ronaldo resolves
that problem, but he has generated a hugeamount of social media interaction and,
at least in the short term, his presence
should placate a fan base that ended last
season furious with the ownership. From
a purely football point of view, though,
he is a baffling signing.Cristiano RONALDO
There is surely a majorwarningin
Juventus’ willingness to let a player
they signed for a fee of €100 million
leave for just €15 million