Manchester United rocked the footballing world by bringing Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford in 2021.
Twelve years after leaving Manchester United for Real Madrid, Cristiano Ronaldo completed a fairytale move back to the club where he announced himself on the world stage.
In the build-up to the move, Ronaldo was linked with Manchester City, but a charm offensive led by Sir Alex Ferguson helped to convince the Portuguese legend to return to Old Trafford.
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Cristiano Ronaldo 2021/22 graphic
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has no regrets signing Ronaldo, but the move didn’t work out in his favour as he was sacked just weeks into the 2021/22 season.
He stayed in Manchester until late 2022, when Ronaldo’s bombshell interview with Piers Morgan led to his contract being terminated.
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Man United signed Cristiano Ronaldo to avoid Man City disaster
Ronaldo would have tarnished his legacy if he went through with a move to Manchester City. Once hailed in Manchester as Ferguson’s prodigy, a move to United’s bitter rivals would have been a huge blow.
United fans were sweating about it, and the boardroom at Old Trafford knew it would have been a complete PR disaster.
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According to the Daily Mail, one source at United said that Ronaldo’s City rumours “created a panic” and that club chiefs “were frightened to death about how the fans would react” if the move went ahead.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored THIS goal at 40 years old!
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United strayed from their long-term plan under Solskjaer to piece together a frantic move for Ronaldo.
While Ronaldo was United’s top scorer in 2021/22, he was disruptive to the football that Solskjaer was trying to play, and it ultimately cost him his job.
Ineos must learn from Cristiano Ronaldo panic
United were almost bullied into going for Ronaldo in 2021 to protect themselves from cross-city humiliation, and fan reaction was clearly taken into account.
In the past decade, United have been far too wasteful and inefficient in the transfer market, and it has led to the Red Devils falling behind their biggest rivals.
Recruitment has improved since the Ineos takeover, with the new club hierarchy implementing a proper footballing structure and strategy.
READ MORE: The story of Ronaldo’s 42-goal 2007/08 season at Manchester United
There are key lessons to learn from the Ronaldo debacle four years ago. United should never feel pressured into a signing that goes against the long-term vision of the club.
Amorim does not want short-term signings, and Ineos must stick to their current recruitment strategy which has produced good additions such as Senne Lammens, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.
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