Cristiano Ronaldo has dominated Real Madrid news in recent times, with many linking the Portuguese with a return to the La Liga to put an end to an ultimately unsuccessful spell at Juventus. He was signed to win the Champions League, an ambition that’s further to being unfulfilled now than when he arrived in Turin.
Marca have weighed up whether or not whether such an operation would work for Madrid, breaking it down into pros and cons. Cristiano is a player who guarantees goals from day one, with the Portuguese keeping up his scoring record in Italy with 95 in 123 games. He’d also bring his renowned will-to-win, given he’s a man who is relentless in pushing his teammates to win titles.
Cristiano already has an excellent relationship with Zinedine Zidane, who has hinted that he’d welcome his former charge back to the Santiago Bernabeu with open arms. Coupled with the effect his arrival would have from a media and commercial standpoint, as well as a sentimental one, there’s a strong argument in favour of the veteran’s signing.
There’s also, however, a strong argument against it. Cristiano is 36, so, despite his freakish physical gifts, doesn’t have that much football left in him. While he’d bring his goals with him, he’d also bring his arrogance, and his desire to be centre-stage and play every game.
His arrival would similarly diminish the chance of Madrid signing a younger, more expensive star like Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe. There’s also his salary, north of €20m net per season, and the likelihood of that being met in a delicate financial climate, coupled with the optics of returning to the past rather than advancing toward the future.
