Man Utd announced they had reached an agreement with Juventus to re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo on Friday; Premier League club will pay around €15m (£12.87m) plus a further €8m (£6.86m) in add-ons for the Portugal captain, who underwent a medical in Lisbon over the weekend

Monday 30 August 2021 10:32, UK

United announced they had reached an agreement with Juventus to re-sign the 36-year-old forward on Friday.

Ronaldo's departure from Juventus was confirmed on Friday by boss Massimiliano Allegri, who revealed he was told by the player he had "no intention" of representing the club again.

United's rivals Manchester City were offered the chance to sign the 36-year-old and considered making a move, but the Premier League champions pulled out of negotiations.

"Hopefully we can get the paperwork sorted and announce him very soon. He is a winner and a great human being. The players are excited, and l am excited to keep adding to this squad.

"He adds something completely different. It adds more confidence and belief to what we are doing and what we are building.

"We know he is a more experienced player than he was when he was here last time, he has evolved and had an unbelievable career. I'm sure he likes all the talk about 'he's too old'. Make it personal and he will show what he can do."
Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane admitted he had been caught up in the excitement of Ronaldo returning to Old Trafford.

"I think it's great news for United, the fans, the Premier League. There's no doubt in my mind he's still a world-class player.

"We have discussed the pluses and minuses, but I see the hunger and the desire there; it's not a pay-day for him. He is already worth fortunes.

"We saw at the Euros he won the Golden Boot; he'll have the incentive of the World Cup. He's a clever guy. He's coming back to United to win stuff. I don't think he'll be the difference in terms of winning the big trophies - Man Utd still have the same problems with or without Ronaldo, and that's midfield - but an FA Cup or a League Cup is more than possible."
Despite the fanfare of Ronaldo returning to bolster Solskjaer's squad, question marks remain over the midfield.

Paul Pogba dropped back into midfield against Wolves but his partnership with Fred does not look like a long-term solution, argues Adam Bate.

Bate says "With Cristiano Ronaldo's return imminent, the competition for those forward positions increases. The temptation to fit Pogba in as one of the two midfielders is understandable. But it feels like a fudge.

"The problem is that the switch brings negatives as well as positives - both of which were evident against Wolves."