Cristiano Ronaldo cannot be blamed for wanting to leave Manchester United
Cristiano Ronaldo has informed Manchester United of his intention to leave the club. Undoubtedly, he respects the Red Devils and may even regard Old Trafford as his second home, but at 37 years of age, he really cannot be a part of half-baked projects anymore.
It has been reported that Chelsea are interested in him, and Bayern Munich believe it will be 'sexy' to have him in their ranks. These clubs will give the 37-year-old a better platform to achieve his ambitions.
Ronaldo's move to Juventus for a 'modest' 100 million euros broke all headlines as he had just won his third consecutive UEFA Champions League title with Real Madrid. It was believed the Portugal skipper would be a mainstay at the Bernabeu for years to come.
However, Florentino Perez, the ever-shrewd businessman, realized that he had squeezed the best out of Ronaldo, and selling him while he still had good value was in the best interests of Los Blancos.
The impact of Cristiano Ronaldo
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner has been a sensation throughout his career. He has been a reliable goalscorer, and it is a testament to his quality that he is now the all-time leading international goalscorer with 117 goals in 189 appearances for Portugal.
With Real Madrid, he has scored an incredible 311 goals in 292 appearances. This is an astonishing record in which he has scored more goals than the number of matches he has played.
With Juventus, he also managed to maintain his impressive form, scoring 81 goals in 98 appearances from 2018-2021 during what was touted to be his declining years.
Indeed, it is a minor miracle that Ronaldo has been able to deliver impressive performances at an age when other players start losing their sheen. He has lost pace but still manages to sprint forward when goalscoring chances open up. In a nutshell, he is as goal-hungry as ever.
The change in Ronaldo's game
Ronaldo's biggest strength, however, is also his biggest weakness. In 2014, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner completely altered his game to become a pure striker.
Of course, he was deployed in a 4-3-3 formation, filling the left-wing role, but he often positioned himself inside the box to take advantage of heading opportunities.
To a casual observer, he was still a winger, but keen followers of Ronaldo would know that it was around this time that he prioritized goalscoring above other aspects of his game. He became a fox-in-the-box and often got the better of center-halves using his strength and superior aerial ability.
Ronaldo's attitude towards football changed because of his greatest rival, Lionel Messi. The Portuguese had seen Messi win four Ballons d'Or back-to-back from 2009-2012 and realized that he had to improve his game to be noted by the voters.
His chosen path was to outscore Messi and win more trophies than the Argentina legend. It seemed to work for some time, at least in the Champions League.
However, due to his propensity for scoring goals, Ronaldo often seems to contribute little to a game where he does not find the back of the net. He drifts in and out of matches and has little to no contribution to build-up play.
Since he focuses on finishing, and his utility in the team is mainly due to that, Ronaldo does not contribute meaningfully to his team in other areas of the game. His detractors criticize him for this shortcoming, but he more than makes up for it with his goals.
The Portuguese also repaid Manchester United's faith in him during the 2021-2022 season, scoring 18 goals in 30 appearances.
It may not seem impressive enough given his previous highs, but Ronaldo was one of the few regular performers in a largely dysfunctional United side.
One of his most memorable performances was against Villarreal in the Champions League, in which he came up with a late winner. Another impressive display was a hat-trick against Norwich City, including a gorgeous free-kick.
Ronaldo is not satisfied with hollow victories
Such performances may temporarily satisfy him, but like all great athletes, Cristiano Ronaldo thrives on winning big trophies.
He failed to lead his team to a Champions League spot in the Premier League. The prospect of playing Europa League football for the first time in his career in the 2022-2023 season will surely be a significant factor in his desire to leave Old Trafford.
Ultimately, Lionel Messi has never played in Europe's second-tier club competition, and Ronaldo is not keen to add that feather to his cap.
We cannot blame Ronaldo for wanting to leave Manchester United. He only has a precious few years left, and he cannot again be a part of a 'rebuilding' project as was the case at Juventus.
He is looking for a team already set to win major trophies, and his contribution would be to ensure he gets enough service to do what he does best - score goals.
Ronaldo wants to be successful again
For all of Erik ten Hag's previous accolades, he is as yet inexperienced in the Premier League. He has also been unable to sign players of significant mettle into the squad.
Some critics have speculated on why Ronaldo did not express his desire to leave United before. The only probable answer is that he looked closely at United's business during the transfer window. He has not been impressed with what he has seen so far.
Let us be clear that he does not owe United anything and has repeatedly reiterated his gratitude to the Red Devils for everything they did to invigorate his career.
Ronaldo has consistently waged war against mediocrity all his life, and he simply cannot allow his last few seasons of professional football to be termed ordinary.
Although he may not win more Ballons d'Or than Lionel Messi as he had once wanted, he may yet get his chance to win major silverware away from Old Trafford.