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In a dramatic day of events on Friday, Cristiano Ronaldo made a sensational return to Manchester United even as Manchester City appeared to be the more likely team to land him.
However, Pep Guardiola's team dropping out of the race paved the way for Manchester United to table an offer for Ronaldo, which was accepted by Juventus hours later.
Earlier this summer, United brought in winger Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid centre-half Raphael Varane to address their requirements of a right winger and a reliable central defensive partner for captain Harry Maguire.
Ronaldo's arrival is the icing on the cake for a club that didn't have a consistent goalscorer up front last season as Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial struggled. United now seem to have all bases covered as they plot to compete on multiple fronts this season.
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On that note, here's a look at how Manchester United could line up Cristiano Ronaldo this season:
Goalkeeper - Dean Henderson
Dean Henderson appeared to have replaced David de Gea as the first-choice goalkeeper at Manchester United towards the end of last season.
The 24-year-old has had a good start to life at Old Trafford, especially after returning from a fabulous 2019-20 campaign with Sheffield United on loan. Henderson has kept an impressive 13 clean sheets in 26 games in all competitions for United, and looks set to play a key role for the club in 2021-22.
Although De Gea started both league games of the new campaign, he is expected to make way for Henderson, who tested positive for COVID-19, when the latter returns. Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer recently said of Henderson:
“Dean, he was positive early on and then he’s negative in his testing but he’s not felt as energised or sharp as he has done. So he’s still fatigued and feeling the after effects. So, you never know, you’ve seen so many effects of this virus, so he’s got a few days still to rest and then we’ll check up on him.”.
Left-back - Luke Shaw
The emergence of Luke Shaw as a world-class full-back has been one of the feel-good Manchester United stories of recent times.
Despite the arrival of Alex Telles last summer, Shaw elevated his game and became the club's undisputed first-choice left-back. Producing a career-best season, the 26-year-old played nearly 50 games in all competitions, scoring once and providing five assists.
Shaw has also shone in international football, scoring his first goal for England in the Euro 2020 final against Italy, which the Three Lions lost in a penalty shootout.
Though the left-back doesn't tally as many goal contributions as Andy Robertson does for Liverpool, Shaw is a key cog in the Manchester United attack, creating an offensive overload thanks to his tireless runs down the left flank.
Centre-back - Harry Maguire
Eyebrows were raised when Manchester United splurged €87 million in the summer of 2019 to make Harry Maguire the most expensive defender in the world.
However, the Englishman proved his naysayers wrong by becoming a key player in the heart of the Manchester United defense. He did not miss a single minute in more than 70 consecutive league games for the club, with his consistent performances helping him become the United captain.
Maguire, who has made more than 100 appearances in just two seasons at the club, makes up for his lack of pace with his remarkable positional awareness and aerial ability at both ends. He will be a key man in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's quest to bring a first league title to Old Trafford in nearly a decade.
Centre-back - Raphael Varane
Making one of their best defensive signings in recent years, Manchester United managed to prise away Real Madrid defensive mainstay Raphael Varane from the Santiago Bernabeu this summer.
Regarded as one of the best centre-backs in the game at the moment, the 28-year-old Frenchman has been a solid performer for club and country, winning big titles galore. Varane, who won the 2018 FIFA World Cup for France, won three La Liga and four Champions League titles during his near decade-long stay in Madrid.
Renowned for his strength, pace and ball-playing prowess, Varane looks like the perfect player to complement his captain Maguire if he acclimatizes early to the pace of the Premier League.
Right-back - Aaron Wan-Bissaka
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been a key player for Manchester United since his debut for the club two seasons ago.
Although the 23-year-old is not yet a finished product, he has made over 100 appearances in just two seasons at the club, scoring twice and providing ten assists.
Calling Wan-Bissaka the 'best defensive full-back in the world', manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer recently said about the player:
“I think Aaron is one of the best one-against-one defensive full-backs in the world. I think he’s getting better and better on the ball; he doesn’t give the ball away a lot. Last season was a learning one for him. Aaron has the time ahead of him, and we’ll give him time. In a year or two you’ll see a top, top full-back there.”
Central Midfielder - Scott McTominay
Scott McTominay has made himself a fixture in Manchester United's midfield, especially in the last two seasons, scoring 12 times in over 80 appearances across competitions.
The 24-year-old, who has played both games of the 2021-22 league campaign, recently underwent a groin surgery that could force him to miss a few games for club and country.
McTominay, who has made 135 appearances for Manchester United, was one of the star performers in the Europa League final defeat to Villarreal last season. Solskjaer hailed the performance of the Scot that night, saying:
"I thought Scott McTominay was absolutely outstanding out there. He was, for me, the best player on the pitch."
Central Midfielder - Paul Pogba
Paul Pogba is finally living up to his tag as one of the world's best midfielders, after a rousing start to his 2021-22 Premier League campaign.
After impressing for France at Euro 2020, the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner followed up his four assists on the opening day with another against Southampton. That's as many assists as he tallied in the entirety of last season, making Pogba the first player in Premier League history to register five assists in the first two games of a campaign.
Despite rumors of an exit from the club, Pogba has been a steady if not spectacular performer for Manchester United over the years, making 88 goal contributions (38 goals, 50 assists) in over 200 games.
Considering his blistering start to the season, the Frenchman could have a career-best campaign for a club looking to win their first major title in almost a decade.
Central Attacking Midfielder - Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes has completed only one full season at Manchester United, but he has already become an undroppable player for manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Portuguese followed up his impressive 23-goal 2020-21 campaign with his first hat-trick for the club in their 2021-22 season opener. All signs point to Fernandes having another monstrous campaign for the club, especially with the arrival of his illustrious compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo (more on him later).
Despite playing in midfield, the 26-year-old has almost tallied one goal contribution per game (43 goals, 25 assists in 82 appearances). However, Ronaldo's arrival could mean Fernandes may no longer be the first-choice penalty-taker for Manchester United this season.
Nevertheless, the versatile midfielder should continue to be a key player this season as Manchester United gun for titles in multiple competitions.
Left winger - Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford has been a key player in the Manchester United attack over the years, closing in on 100 goals for the club after making his debut six years ago.
The 23-year-old was one of three players who missed their spot-kicks in England's Euro 2020 penalty-shootout defeat to Italy. He missed only one league game last season, producing 22 goal contributions (11 goals and as many assists) as United finished a distant second behind Manchester City.
Rashford is a versatile attacker, but he is at his most comfortable when playing down the left flank. A tally of 88 goals and 57 assists in six seasons is an impressive return for the 23-year-old, and it could only get better with the arrival of two marquee signings up front, whom we'll talk about next.
Right winger - Jadon Sancho
Manchester United ended a year-long pursuit of Jadon Sancho by managing to land him at Old Trafford this summer.
Sancho, 21, is one of the most exciting young wingers in the game at the moment. He enhanced his burgeoning reputation during a successful four-season stint at Borussia Dortmund, which yielded a rich haul of 50 goals and 64 assists.
Now at United, the Euro 2020 finalist will look to win trophies in a star-studded team with quality in all areas of the pitch.
Sancho has not started either Premier League game for Manchester United in 2021-22, playing a combined 47 minutes in both games. But it's only a matter of time before the exciting Englishman becomes a fixture for the club and starts contributing up front.
Centre-forward - Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to Manchester United after nine glorious years at Real Madrid and a rather underwhelming three seasons at Juventus.
Now 36, the five-time Ballon d'Or and Champions League winner is expected to start up front at Old Trafford, a position from which he has scored a number of goals over the years after starting out on the left as a winger.
Despite being on the wrong side of 30, Ronaldo is expected to hit the ground running, considering his familiarity with the Premier League, where he transformed from a raw unpolished stone to a glittering diamond.
Ronaldo arrives at Old Trafford after winning his first Capocannoniere award despite Juventus failing to win Serie A for the first time in a decade. He also dazzled at Euro 2020, scoring five goals and bagging an assist to become the all-time top scorer in the history of the quadrennial competition.
