In a surprising turn of events, Manchester City backed out of talks with Cristiano Ronaldo. That left the door open for their rival, Manchester United, to swoop in and get the Portuguese legend. No longer is he with Juventus, for he's making his long-awaited return to the Premier League. Here's why the legendary club needed to get such a superstar.
For starters, it eases the pressure off of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The Red Devils manager has been on the hot seat for some time due to the squad's poor performance in international competition. Getting Ronaldo boost the club, even as he's on the wrong side of 30.
Another reason why they needed the legendary soccer star is that they had to capitalize on Manchester City's pass. The Citizens lost yet another opportunity to get a big superstar, leaving Ronaldo exposed to their rivals. It also puts the focus on the Sky Blues' sudden lack of lucrativeness, specifically after missing out on Lionel Messi, Harry Kane, and now the former Real Madrid star.
Old Trafford has been relegated to an afterthought with Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea rising. They recently played in the Europa League, a secondary competition to the Champions League. Now, they have a superstar who brings firepower, star power, and mentorship to a loaded Red Devil lineup.
That doesn't mean that it'll be easy for Manchester United, though. Manchester City still has a budding attack in Raheem Sterling and Jack Grealish. Chelsea is seeing Christian Pulisic come into his own as their young group matures. Liverpool is still a threat with one of the best duos in soccer in Sadio Mane and Mohamed Saleh. The Red Devils will need to claw their way through the competition to win the league. However, matters will be much more manageable with the Portuguese legend on board.
There's plenty of reason to be excited about Cristiano Ronaldo coming back to the Premier League. For one, it's become a competitive league again, with the Big Six (excluding Arsenal) taking charge of international competition. With one of soccer's biggest stars coming to the league, it'll be must-see television for a global audience.
