Cristiano Ronaldo could be a ‘problem’ for Sarri says pundit
If Manchester United chief Ed Woodward is ever to fulfil his dream of bringing Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford, then now surely is the time to strike.
For the second straight game the Juventus star was substituted. He was hooked against AC Milan and walked down the tunnel, refusing to even look at manager Maurizio Sarri as he allegedly made his way out of the ground.
Some believe Ronaldo went off with an injury but reports have since claimed the 34-year-old left the ground early.
Things have been brewing for the Portugal international in Turin ever since the summer and the exit of Massimiliano Allegri.
Reports back then claimed Ronaldo wanted Jose Mourinho to go to Juventus as he believed that, for all his fellow Portuguese’s flaws, he would turn the Old Lady into potential Champions League winners.
And while there was nothing about him being unhappy with Sarri, the Italian was hardly the unanimous choice among fans.
Ronaldo has had to contend with links away from the club in the time since.
He’s shut them down, of course, but there’s a sense that if anybody is to try and sign him from Juventus it’s not entirely out of the question.
And with Ronaldo unhappy in Italy, it’s the ideal time for United to try and test the waters one last time.
The Glazers loathed selling the forward to Real Madrid a decade ago. Not only did the club lose their best player but also their most profitable. Someone to sell shirts and make headlines and garner positive publicity as a result.
And Woodward has long dreamed of bringing the player back to Old Trafford.
Man Utd owners the Glazers and Ed Woodward would love to sign Cristiano Ronaldo (Image: GETTY)
Man Utd have a chance to exploit the Juventus drama between Cristiano Ronaldo and Maurizio Sarri (Image: GETTY)
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When he replaced David Gill as United executive vice-chairman in 2013, he had Ronaldo sitting at the top of his list of potential transfer targets.
The Red Devils thought it was happen. Sir Alex Ferguson had even told Patrice Evra as much, with the France international saying: “He even told me ‘99 per cent, Cristiano Ronaldo will come’.
“I was like, “Wow, we are ready to bounce back and to even win the Champions League again’.
"After that, everyone knows what happened. You know when you are lost and you feel like the world is crumbling? It was a big trauma. I felt lost."
Lost would be an understatement.
United have lost their way in the time since Ronaldo left. They won titles under Ferguson but, since he walked away, they’ve fallen behind.