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Cristiano Ronaldo has been the talk of the summer transfer window, with his future at Manchester United uncertain. Although the Portugal international has not publicly stated his desire to leave, his actions have done the talking for him.
The 37-year-old forward was absent from the Manchester United pre-season tour citing 'family reasons'. Meanwhile, his agent Jorge Mendes has been sounding out new potential suitors in Europe.
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Ronaldo joined Manchester United from Juventus last season for €15 million and recorded 27 goal contributions (24 goals and three assists) in 38 games across all competitions. He delivered those numbers for a struggling United side that looked flaky for most of the season. Their sixth-place finish was a perfect summary of their season.
Despite being 37, Ronaldo showed that his predatorial instincts are as sharp as ever, scoring decisive goals and coming up clutch in big moments. At the moment, there are very few top sides in Europe that can afford his wages or need a striker. However, with Bayern Munich selling Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona, there is a striker-shaped hole in the Bayern Munich attack.
The Bayern board has repeatedly debunked rumors of Ronaldo coming to the club and have claimed that the forward wasn't even a topic of discussion at the club. With the arrival of Sadio Mane, they had an attacker to fill the void Lewandowksi left, but still lacked a conventional striker. The transfer window is still open, and a possible switch can still be on the cards.
Signing Ronaldo comes with its perks and disadvantages, as was seen at United last season.
Two pros of signing Cristiano Ronaldo
#1 Guaranteed goals
Ronaldo is arguably the best goalscorer in football. He guarantees goals at any club he joins. As seen at United, he managed 18 league goals in a side that visibly struggled to create chances. The Red Devils had only a few supporting players, arguably the biggest name being Bruno Fernandes.
At Bayern, Ronaldo will undoubtedly deliver goals for the club. He will also have an impressive supporting cast in Munich with Thomas Muller, Leroy Sane, Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry and Sadio Mane. These are world-class players and are upgrades on the players he had for support at Manchester United. He will surely improve his goal performance and will provide adequate support to the Bayern attack.
#2 A short-term solution
With the sale of Lewandowski, Bayern have lost their top goalscorer in the last seven seasons. Given the nature of the market, getting a young replacement will cost the Bavarians a fortune. Additionally, there is a risk whether or not that player has the quality to deliver under pressure.
Ronaldo offers the club a short-term fix while the club searches the market for a perfect long-term replacement for Lewandowski. His age means he won't command a huge transfer fee.
The former Real Madrid man is experienced and has shown his quality on the big stage for over a decade. The club and players are aware of these abilities and could explore them in the meantime.
Cons of signing Ronaldo
#1 Tactical structure will be disturbed
Since the appointment of Hansi Flick, Bayern have been one of the highest pressing sides in Europe. This is one of the key things that his successor, Julian Nagelsmann, retained. Ronaldo will find it difficult to press at the intensity the club’s system requires and will certainly make the press very ineffective.
Last season, the legendary forward faced a lot of criticism for his lack of pressing action and defensive contributions. This often led to a very ineffective press from the Red Devils that was easily bypassed and exploited.
#2 Squad balance will be affected
Nagelsmann is one of the youngest coaches in the world. He broke into the coaching scene at 29 with TSG Hoffenheim, and even now, the 35-year-old manager is younger than club captain Manuel Neuer. Perhaps there is fear at the club that the signing of an older player than the manager might affect the squad and locker room balance.
Players in attack like Gnabry, Coman, Jamal Musiala and Leroy Sane may suffer a dip in form if they do not get the necessary attention.
Ronaldo's arrival will mean Nagelsmann will have to adjust his squad rotations around him. The lack of game time could affect other young players' growth and performances. It would make more sense for the Bundesliga champions to develop those players than to get a player nearing the end of his career.
The best decision for Bayern Munich will be to avoid the five-time Ballon d'Or winner and see how things work without a conventional No. 9 striker.
