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Recently former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan expressed his thoughts over Cristiano Ronaldo's return to English Club Manchester United in 2021. He talked about how CR7 miscalculated his return to Old Trafford and labelled this move as a Marketing campaign.
He said, “You can see the frustration in Ronaldo that we have not seen at other clubs. We didn’t see it at Real Madrid and Juventus. He is a serial winner and that is not the case at Man United.”
“I don’t think he realised how far behind Liverpool and Man City they are. It’s been a real mixed bag this season. They’ve looked all over the place at times. There’s been no structure in their play. There’s been turmoil from top to bottom. He didn’t realise what he was walking into. That has been the problem. It has shocked him as well as a lot of other people.”
“If Ronaldo goes it will be damning for their marketing campaign. He is their main man. He is the biggest name at that club. What does it say if you’re selling your best player, your top scorer? I would not let Ronaldo let go. They should be building the team around him.”
“Never mind those £25m wages”
Whelan also talked about his wages that have stopped the Red Devils from making key transfers in the January Transfer Window. He opined, “If they can’t afford £25million to put in the transfer budget, then something is seriously wrong. Fans of that club want to see Ronaldo. We saw the fuss when he signed, the shirt sales went through the roof.”
“He’s not been signed solely for this quality that he possesses, but also for the marketability around the world. Man United are probably making a profit from having him, never mind those £25m wages. He’s paying for himself. I’d be really surprised if they let him go,” he continued.
The honeymoon period is over
The former England player also talked about how the hype around Ronaldo is going down. He said, “I think the honeymoon period is well and truly over for Ronaldo. The hype has settled down. But it’s not just about Cristiano Ronaldo – he’s not the only reason why they’re not getting results. There are a lot of players who need to look in the mirror.
“We all know he’s a serial winner, we can all respect what he’s achieved in the game. If there’s anyone who’s going to be unhappy about the way things are going, it’s him.”