Manchester United made a mistake by signing Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer transfer window, according to former midfielder Paul Ince.
Speaking exclusively to The Sun, former Manchester United and Liverpool midfielder Paul Ince has lashed out at the Red Devils for signing Cristiano Ronaldo last summer.
Manchester United brought Ronaldo back to Old Trafford last summer in a surprise deal. The Portuguese superstar had decided to leave Juventus, and a shock transfer to Manchester City was touted. However, the Red Devils swooped in to ensure that the move to their rivals did not happen, as they re-signed the club legend on a two-year contract.
Ronaldo started life back at Old Trafford with a bang, going on a great scoring run and helping the team through some difficult phases. However, his form has nosedived since the turn of the year, which has also coincided with the team’s struggles on the field under interim manager Ralf Rangnick.
Ronaldo had failed to score in six consecutive games for Manchester United until he found the back of the net against Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday night. Ince is of the opinion that the 20-time English champions were wrong to sign the ageing veteran and should instead have gone for a younger, more prolific option like Erling Haaland.
“When Ole first took the helm the project was about going young but all of a sudden they were bringing in 37-year-olds,” said Ince. “You think, ‘why didn’t you just go and get Haaland?’ You didn’t need Ronaldo, but it’s just the fact that everyone thought he was going to Man City. Everyone thought it was great when he first came and if it wasn’t for Ronaldo, they wouldn’t still be in the Champions League.”
Ince also criticised the 37-year-old Portuguese talisman for his antics on the field, stating that he was not setting a good example for the youngsters at the club.
Despite his recent form, Ronaldo remains Manchester United’s leading goalscorer this term, bagging 15 goals across all competitions. However, given his age and Edinson Cavani’s expiring contract at the end of the season, the Red Devils need to start planning for the future.
While they might not have gone after Haaland last year, there have been reports that the 20-time English champions will make a play to land the Borussia Dortmund hitman in the upcoming window.
