Opinion: Manchester United should take advantage of Ronaldo’s availability

Manchester United ended a lowly sixth in the Premier League standings last term as they struggled to find a suitable companion to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who could provide goals on a regular basis. Despite this, Jose Mourinho’s side attained qualification to the Champions League after they received fairly easy opposition in their route to their Europa League triumph.

Qualification to the Europe’s premier competition is no doubt an achievement for any club, or perhaps ‘a form of silverware’ if you are Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger. However, United still have a long way to go before they are back among the Premier League’s elite. One former player in Cristiano Ronaldo was key towards a highly successful period under Sir Alex Ferguson, and there is a suggestion that he could prefer a possible return this summer.

Apparently, Ronaldo has been alleged of tax fraud of around £13m by Spanish authorities, and this has seemingly brought a sense of frustration to the four-time Champions League winner. The former Sporting Lisbon graduate has scored nearly a goal a game during his time at the Bernabeu, and a return to Old Trafford could be a blessing in disguise for both him and the club, who are hoping to end their recent Premier League drought.

Ronaldo is no longer the pacey wideman who would use his trickery to his advantage, but he now finds himself reinvented into a proper striker with the ability to be at the right place at the right time. Ibrahimovic made a huge difference with his physical presence upfront last season, but United nevertheless ended their association with his services following his double ankle damage, which has required surgery.

The 32-year-old is due to analyse his future after the Confederations Cup in Russia, and there is a sense that he may push for a potential return to Manchester, provided United are willing to cough up a world-record sum in excess of £150m.

Image – Getty