The Prodigal Son Returns

By @UTDNiamh, published on 31/08/21

How do I put this into words, that my childhood hero, the man I worshipped when I was younger, is back in a Manchester United shirt after a 12-year wait. In this article, I will discuss how the transfer happened and what he will bring.

How the transfer happened

The signing of Ronaldo was done relatively quickly for the size of the transfer. The first reports came out around midday Friday UK time and were non stop from then. In his weekly press conference, Ole didn't rule out the transfer when he said, "let's see what happens".

The next couple of hours were insane, with the most reliable United reporters coming out and confirming United's interest in our former number 7. Behind the scenes, the club was confident that Ronaldo was coming home back to Old Trafford with people now reporting that the deal was sealed at 10 am that morning with Rio's meme sent at 10:47 that morning, at this stage to us as fans this was just Rio taking the piss. Still, to him and those on the inside, they knew the deal was done.

The big news came around 3 pm when Fab reported that City had pulled out of the agreement and that United was controlling the transfer. At 4 pm, the information that broke the united website announced that the club had agreed to bring Ronaldo back.

This transfer was done thanks to Bruno Fernandes and the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson, who called and texted Cristiano all night to persuade him to choose the Red side of Manchester. The news broke the internet, with United having the most interactions since 2013 when he made his first Old Trafford appearance since he left. This will go down as the maddest window in years, and this deal is the front and centre of it.

What next?

With the transfer of Cristiano, Daniel James has left to get more playing time. With his transfer to Leeds now done, this was a transfer that was needed to free up wages and get more funds. It also has a knock-on effect on jersey numbers, as it's reported Edinson Cavani is willing to give his number 7 up to the new (old) boy. Watching Mason and Rashford train with Ronaldo will be a joy, and they will learn so much from him.

This transfer could be a mistake, but just for a minute, let a fan dream and sing Viva Ronaldo until we see him play again on the 11th of September again back where he belongs. VIVA RONALDO

Niamh Maguire