Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United was the biggest story of the summer. The Portuguese superstar had made a name for himself at Old Trafford before moving to Real Madrid in a then world record transfer in 2009. There he established himself as one of the greatest players in the history of the game. And after an underwhelming spell at Juventus, he was back at the Theatre of Dreams.
Manchester United had already finished second in the Premier League last season and this was expected to transform them into title contenders once again.
The reality has been very different. Manchester United look set to be headed towards their fifth straight trophyless campaign, unless they end up winning the Champions League. And Ronaldo himself has struggled tremendously in recent weeks.
Perhaps for the first time in his career, he appears to be lacking confidence, and seems to have lost a step as well. And as reported by Manchester Evening News, Ralf Rangnick has major reservations about the prospect of Ronaldo leading the line for Manchester United next season.
Could Ronaldo’s second stint at Manchester United be coming to an end soon?
On current form, it is hard to see Ronaldo being the first-choice striker at Manchester United. A new manager is expected to come in as well, and he would surely want to rebuild the squad.
But football is a game that moves very fast. There is more than a quarter of the Premier League season still to be played and who knows how far Manchester United can go in the Champions League. They are in a good position in their round of 16 tie with Atletico Madrid, having drawn 1-1 in the first leg away at Wanda Metropolitano.
A lot will depend though, on how Ronaldo does between now and till the end of the season. One must remember, he has made a career out of proving people wrong.