“If he has the chance, he will come” - Ex-Manchester United star backs Cristiano Ronaldo to make sensational Old Trafford return under Ruben Amorim
Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha has backed Cristiano Ronaldo to return to Old Trafford. This comes after the Red Devils signed Ronaldio's former Portugal teammate Ruben Amorim as their permanent head coach following Erik ten Hag's sacking.
Ten Hag was the club's manager when Ronaldo left unceremoniously in November 2022. The duo clashed many times publicly, with the legendary striker notably refusing to come on as a substitute. Eventually, Ronaldo lashed out at Ten Hag and the club in a bombshell interview with UK TV personality Piers Morgan.
This eventually led to his exit, after he agreed to a mutual contract termination with United. In December 2022, he left Europe for the Middle East, where he now plays for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.
However, now that Ten Hag has been sacked as Manchester United manager, Louis Saha believes Cristiano Ronaldo could return. The former Red Devils striker told Betfred (via TeamTalk):
“I do think Cristiano Ronaldo would love to return to the club in a role where he’s respected. He left the club on somewhat bad terms, so the club’s hierarchy may not want it to happen, but the players and the fans understood what he was trying to say. People can’t say that what he was saying was wrong."
Saha continued, explaining why Ronaldo and Manchester United's new boss Amorim could potentially work together while adding a caveat:
“Cristiano does have a connection with Ruben Amorim, but I don’t believe he would sign him purely because he’s his friend.
"He wouldn’t sign him just to please him, he would only do it if he believes Cristiano can help. If there was an opportunity to come back, I’m sure Cristiano would love to return and help the club because he will love the challenge. If he has the chance, he will come.”
Cristiano Ronaldo is currently focused on the Saudi Pro League, where he has scored six goals and provided two assists in nine games this season. Ruben Amorim started his role at Manchester United during the November international break, and would look to lead the club to greater heights.
Cristiano Ronaldo has urged Manchester United to "rebuild"
Cristiano Ronaldo has pushed Manchester United to rebuild if they are to compete for titles and trophies at the highest levels of English and European football. While speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast back in September, he said (via CNN):
“This club needs time to rebuild. It is still one of the best clubs in the world, but they need to change. They understand that it’s the only way... They have to rebuild from the bottom; if not, they cannot compete, it will be impossible."
The Red Devils seem to have continued this rebuilding process by sacking Erik ten Hag, who was still manager at the time Ronaldo made these statements. They will be hoping that Ruben Amorim can help to lead the club out of their mid-table struggles and into the top four as the season progresses.