When Cristiano Ronaldo announced he was ready to leave Juventus in August of 2021, many fans wondered where he would go.

Pundits were thinking about how his move would influence future soccer games involving Juventus and the team he would join. The revelation that he was heading back to Manchester United was met with a lot of fanfare, as the team had just finished second in the Premier League the previous season.

The return of Ronaldo was seen as a way to bring the league title back to the club, given they also signed Raphael Varane from Real Madrid in the same summer.

To say the move did not go as most had expected would be an understatement. A year and a half later, Ronaldo was unceremoniously released by the Red Devils and moved to another club on a free transfer.

Below is our analysis of his move from Juventus to United.

A player wanting another challenge

During the summer of 2021, Ronaldo did not feel content at Juventus. He believed that his Italian team had not done enough to prepare for future soccer games and improve their squad to challenge for the biggest trophies in the game.

Ronaldo wanted to win the Champions League and more league titles, but he felt that Juve was on a downward slope at the time. Given the Turin club has not won a trophy since Ronaldo left, he was not incorrect about his perception of the club.

What Ronaldo may have misjudged was the state of Manchester United when he decided to join them instead of rivals Manchester City.

An emotional return

Ronaldo made an emotional decision when he decided to play for Manchester United. The club did make a big financial commitment to the player, given he was on the wrong side of 30, but they were also unable to offer him as much as some other teams around Europe.

The most notable interest in Ronaldo had come from their cross-town rivals in Manchester City. The team, managed by Pep Guardiola, was also after Ronaldo and could have promised him much more. They were a well-oiled machine that only needed a forward to take them to the next level.

Despite talking with City, Ronaldo was convinced by Man United legends to join their team instead. He chose United, as he had played for the club for six years from 2003 to 2009, when he was still a young player.

A mixed first campaign

The first season of Ronaldo being back at United started with some promise. The Portuguese player was scoring goals, and United was winning matches. But eventually, they ran into issues, especially defensively. Ronaldo was not gelling with his teammates, and their defense was exposed as they were playing an extra forward player compared to their tactics from the previous season.

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer eventually lost his job, with the club having lost several games in a row. He was replaced by Ralf Rangnick, a German coach who had been the sporting director at Lokomotiv Moscow at the time. Rangnick’s football philosophy revolved around hard work and pressing teams from the front.

Ronaldo’s style of play was at odds with Rangnick’s. Given he was in his late 30s, Ronaldo did not have the energy to play an intense pressing game. While he was always in the team, it meant that United struggled to play the way Rangnick wanted and ultimately won nothing that season.

The club did not sign Rangnick permanently, deciding to go with a new coach for the 2022/2023 season instead. Ronaldo was expected to play his part for one more year, as he had a contract with the club to honor.

Falling out and leaving United

The Ronaldo saga did not improve in his second season at the club. While there seemed to be more stability at United with the arrival of Erik ten Hag as manager, Ronaldo was not content with his situation.

The Portuguese star wanted a move away from the club. He refused to turn up for pre-season training, left the stadium without permission during a game where he was not selected, refused to come off the bench in a game where he was a substitute, and showed poor behavior behind the scenes.

United initially did not let him leave, but their mind was changed after Ronaldo gave an interview to Piers Morgan where he bashed the club. The forward claimed he had no respect for United or Ten Hag, while he also said that previous interim coach Ralf Rangnick was not worthy of his respect either.

As a result of that interview, Ronaldo was released on a free transfer by United during the 2022 World Cup. He was allowed to join any team he wanted. Despite his wishes to stay in Europe, no top team made him an offer, and he ended up signing for Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia.

Also read: Georgina Rodriguez and Cristiano Ronaldo Plan to Leave Saudi Arabia