Unless you have been living under a rock, you will know that Cristiano Ronaldo completed a sensational return to Manchester United earlier this week. A formal announcement was made on deadline day and since then, an endless amount of pundits and experts have weighed in on the signing.
Ronaldo looked to be excruciatingly close to joining rivals Manchester City but a late swoop, featuring a charm offensive including Sir Alex Ferguson, Bruno Fernandes, and Rio Ferdinand, swayed the Portugal international towards a return to Old Trafford.
Furthermore, the transfer from Juventus was completed the day before he became the all-time leading goalscorer in men’s international football, surpassing Ali Daei’s previous mark of 109 goals.
Former Manchester United striker Mark Hughes has now offered his opinion on the deal, arguing that Ronaldo’s homecoming was ‘meant to be’.
“It’s just meant to be for him – he is the ultimate showman who can always deliver,” Hughes told The Mirror. “It’s fantastic for Manchester United and it’s good for him.
“It makes sense him going back. It’s the right time and the right opportunity and there’s no reason why he can’t make a success of this. Certainly, when I went back I had the opportunity to stay in Germany with a great club, Bayern Munich.
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“I was having a great time and it was only the fact that it was Manchester United because to anybody else trying to get me back I would have said, ‘No’.
“It’s the pull of the club. I had been there since I was a kid. I had an emotional pull and attachment so when I knew they wanted me back it was an easy decision for me as an individual and for my family as well.
“I’m sure Cristiano has had similar feelings and has gone through similar emotions. People comment on the size of fees and the money involved but that’s not an issue for Cristiano because he is a very wealthy man.”
Ronaldo could make his second debut for the club next week as he was granted early release from the Portugal camp due to a suspension. The 36-year-old touched down in Manchester earlier this week but it is yet unclear whether he needs to isolate before he can train with his new teammates.
