Jamie Carragher has likened Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United during the summer to Wayne Rooney’s own Everton return a couple of years ago.
After departing Old Trafford 12 years earlier, Ronaldo arrived back at United to plenty of fanfare on deadline day in the summer transfer window. He has since gone on to score 24 times across all competitions.
But Carragher has claimed the transfer was 'just to lift the fans' like when Wayne Rooney returned to Everton from United. Rooney left Old Trafford and returned to Everton in 2017 after spending 13 years at Old Trafford. He spent just a season back at Goodison Park before joining DC United in the United States.
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“My problem has always been with Man United for buying Cristiano Ronaldo. One of the biggest clubs in the world should not be buying a 37-year-old,” Carragher told Sky Sports on Monday night.
“I've always been of the opinion that they should move him on, but right now, there are so many problems - "I need to get a midfielder, I need to get a centre-back." We've seen this season that when Ronaldo doesn't play or gets brought off, it's a massive story.
“If you bring in strikers, are they to play or back up Ronaldo? If you're the new manager, you might think you don't need that on your plate.
“They've got other problems. Would Liverpool ring back Luis Suarez? I don't think so. United should be getting Erling Haaland. Man City are getting him.
“It's like United are a small club. It's like when Rooney went back to Everton. It was just to lift the fans.”
