Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford was supposed to signal the return of Manchester United as a Premier League superpower. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s arrival, coming after suggestions of a move to Manchester City, was heralded as the signing that would bridge the gap to their neighbours.
Less than 12 months on, challenging City is the least of United’s worries. A disastrous season has left new manager Erik ten Hag with an almighty rebuild task just to have them fighting for the top four again, and Ronaldo’s future is the subject of debate. That being said, United are adamant that reports of his potential exit are well wide of the mark.
The Portuguese ace was of course one of a very select few that could hold their head up high after last season. In fact, United fans would no doubt shudder at the thought of where they would have been had Ronaldo not been there to dig them out of various holes.
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Heading into the summer then, the task seemed clear – put together a team deserving of Ronaldo’s stature, and show that there is progress being made after last season’s calamity. Thus far, that objective has not been met.
While the likes of City, Liverpool, Tottenham and even Arsenal have gone about strengthening themselves early in the window, United are still wrangling with a cash-strapped Barcelona to try and get their first deal over the line. The reaction has been slow, and United should know by know how costly that could be – after all, it’s how Ronaldo ended up back at Old Trafford.
The parallels between United and the state of Juventus last summer are eerily similar. Even with Ronaldo in their ranks, the Italian giants suffered a stinker of a 2020/21 season, although, unlike United, they just about scraped Champions League qualification.
Andrea Pirlo had failed to turn around their fortunes, and clearly drastic changes were needed as a new manager arrived (albeit one who had been in charge previously in Massimiliano Allegri). Juve had fallen behind the two Milan sides and Atalanta, and were extremely lucky to finish ahead of Napoli.
That rather alarming warning seemed to go unheeded. While Inter strengthened after winning the title, Juventus’ first major signing only came on August 18 in the shape of Manuel Locatelli.
It perhaps hit home just how inadequate their business had been when they opened the 2021/22 season by throwing away a 2-0 lead at Udinese to come away with just a point. Their second outing saw them lose at home to Empoli, and just three days later, Ronaldo was back at Old Trafford.
One thing has been very clear throughout Ronaldo’s career – he calls the shots. As things stand, Ronaldo will be staying to see out the final year of his contract - but that doesn’t for one second mean United can relax.
If, like Juventus, the club aren’t showing enough to demonstrate they are making the right strides this summer, the 37-year-old won’t hesitate to look elsewhere. After all, his departure from Italy last summer took everyone by surprise.
United shouldn’t need an ultimatum to get on with their summer business after the season that has just gone. But Juventus have shown what can happen if they fail to appease Ronaldo, and a departure this time around would be much more damaging to United.
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