Pro: Ronaldo is the perfect personality to replace Zlatan Ibrahimovic
When Ronaldo first arrived in England, he was a teenager who was a bit wet behind the ears and had a questionable hairstyle inspired by a badly made spaghetti dish. However, he soon allowed his football to do the talking and that is what he is judged on now.
After eight years in Madrid, Ronaldo is now one of the senior most members of the squad. He can no longer afford to be a petulant brat if things don’t go his way. He also wears the captain’s armband for Portugal.
With Wayne Rooney’s influence diminishing both on and off the pitch, United were crying out for a true leader and Mourinho knew exactly what he was doing when he brought Ibrahimovic on a free transfer – a coup that saw United win two major trophies.
The 35-year-old Swedish striker showed that age was just a number as he played in every competition without much rest while Rooney rotted away on the sidelines. Ronaldo is a similar player. At 32, he is the oldest player on the list of Top 100 players with the highest Estimated Transfer Value.
His fitness levels are at par with the world’s greatest athletes and it would only push the rest of the squad to look after their bodies and try to match both his physique and fitness levels (’try’ being the operating word here).
With Ibrahimovic no longer in the picture after he was released, Ronaldo would be the ideal man to take up the mantle.
