Cristiano Ronaldo has won all there is to win in football, and the five-time Ballon d’Or winner is entering the twilight phase of his glittering career. There is no doubt that the incredible athlete still has a few seasons left in him, but the Champions League winner has recently indicated that those years may not be spent at Real Madrid. With Zinedine Zidane making his shock decision to leave the Santiago Bernabeu recently, could another Los Blancos legend be about to follow suit?
According to the Sun, Ronaldo is “disillusioned” with Real’s fierce desire to bring Brazilian ace Neymar to the Spanish capital, as he believes the club are looking to phase him out. The Paris Saint-Germain forward has already made it clear that he wants to be the star of the show wherever he is, and is unwilling to share the limelight with players like Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at Barcelona, or Edinson Cavani at PSG. If the Galacticos managed to acquire the 26-year-old’s services, he would almost certainly demand to be the star man at Real.
For this reason, Ronaldo is rumoured to be considering an exit plan, with a fairytale return to where it all began on the cards. It was at Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson that the Portuguese legend became the global star he is today, and it is understood that Ronaldo would be tempted to play out the rest of his footballing days at Old Trafford. Ronaldo and Mourinho have worked together before, and both parties would be more than happy to have a reunion.
In the 2017-18 campaign, United’s attack was just not consistent enough. After a strong start during which the Red Devils won their first two games 4-0, it became increasingly difficult to predict the final scoreline. If they brought in a prolific striker like Ronaldo who has an incredible scoring rate, the final scores predictions would be much easier. In other words, United would be favoured to sweep aside any opponents in their way. With Mourinho’s charges usually solid at the back, betting experts would, therefore, be likely to back United to win games with 2-0, 3-0, or 4-0 score lines.
If Ronaldo makes the move to United, Mourinho is prepared to snub winter signing Alexis Sanchez and offer the Portuguese hitman his old number 7 shirt. The Chilean has thus far failed to impress since making the switch from Arsenal, and he would have to accept the decision or risk being transfer listed again. Given the choice between a man who scored 41 goals last season and a player who bagged ten, Mourinho will doubtlessly favour the five-time Champions League winner.
For Ronaldo to make a return to Old Trafford, it will take a huge bid to whisk him away from the Spanish capital. But if the player makes it clear that he doesn’t want to play for the La Liga giants anymore, they will be forced to part company with the club legend. Ending his playing days with United would be a fairy-tale ending to a glittering career.
