"Are they laughing now?" - Piers Morgan aims dig at Arsenal fans over Cristiano Ronaldo transfer
Piers Morgan has reiterated his claim that Arsenal should have signed Cristiano Ronaldo to win the Premier League title race.
The Gunners missed out on the league title to Manchester City by five points. They held an eight-point lead over the Cityzens in January but fell off the boil in the closing stages of the season.
It was during January when Ronaldo, 38, was available as a free agent after leaving Manchester United in November 2022. Morgan pushed for Arsenal (the team he supports) to sign the legendary forward, much to the bemusement of fellow Gunners fans.
However, Morgan has now taken a dig at fans for mocking his suggestion given how things panned out in the title race, telling talkSPORT:
"Arsenal fans laughed at me last year when I suggested that Cristiano Ronaldo would be a great signing for the rest of the season when he left United. Are they laughing now?"
Mikel Arteta's side didn't move for the Portuguese icon despite injuries plaguing their squad. Morgan continued by alluding to Gabriel Jesus who missed three months of action due to a serious knee injury:
"Do we not honestly think that someone like Ronaldo in that run-in when Jesus got injured that Ronaldo couldn't have led our line and perhaps got us over the line?"
Cristiano Ronaldo has won titles in England, Spain and Italy during his illustrious career. He's a proven winner, and Morgan touched on that:
"Not just because of the goals but because of the winning mentality. And you put someone like that in the dressing room; all the young players will gravitate to that mentality."
Arsenal's season collapsed in April when they draw three games on the bounce. Arteta's men were held to draws by Liverpool (2-2), West Ham United (2-2) and Southampton (3-3). They were then beaten 4-1 by eventual champions City at the Etihad.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo headed to the Saudi Pro League and joined Al Nassr. He scored 14 goals in 19 games across competitions, but his side also finished second in the league.
Cristiano Ronaldo wanted Arsenal to win title if Manchester United didn't
Cristiano Ronaldo's departure from Manchester United last November was a result of a controversial interview he gave with Morgan. He touched on several topics regarding his Red Devils side, including how he felt disrespected by the Old Trafford outfit.
The Portuguese icon and United agreed to mutually terminate his contract, and he headed off to Saudi. However, during the interview with Morgan, Ronaldo spoke highly of Arsenal and confessed he wanted to see them win the title:
“Manchester (United) first, and if not, Arsenal are (a) team that I like to see play. I like the team. I like the coach. I think they have a good team. If Manchester United don’t win the Premier League, I will be happy if Arsenal (win)."
It remains to be seen if that was a come-and-get-me plea from the three-time Premier League champion. He was already edging towards a departure from Old Trafford due to his frosty relationship with United manager Erik ten Hag.
Cristiano Ronaldo was handed just four starts in the league by the Dutch tactician. His lack of game time frustrated him, and he soon departed to Al Nassr.