Manchester United have made an official announcement confirming the signing of club legend Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus on deadline day.
As confirmed on the club’s official website, Manchester United have made their fourth and the biggest transfer of the summer, re-signing club icon Cristiano Ronaldo from Italian giants Juventus.
One of the greatest ever to play the game, it was at Manchester United that Ronaldo earned his reputation as a bonafide superstar, having spent six years between 2003 and 2009 at the Theatre of Dreams. After a hugely successful nine-year stint at Real Madrid, the 36-year-old maverick joined Juventus in 2018.
However, his time in Italy wasn’t entirely a success even though he did manage to win multiple honours as the team struggled to go the distance in the UEFA Champions League. Nonetheless, during his time in Turin, Ronaldo was easily one of the best on display in Serie A despite his advancing age and finished the last season as the leading goalscorer in the Italian top-flight.
This summer, though, the Portuguese international decided it was time to move on. A shock switch to Manchester City was touted quite a bit last week until Manchester United made a move on Friday to wrap up an agreement with Juventus to take Ronaldo back to Old Trafford.
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? @Cristiano is back!#MUFC | #RonaldoReturns
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 31, 2021
Now, the club have confirmed that all formalities have been completed and Ronaldo is now officially a Manchester United player. The 36-year-old has signed a two-year contract with the 20-time English champions, with an option of extending it by another twelve months.
Upon completing his return to Old Trafford, Ronaldo said, “Manchester United is a club that has always had a special place in my heart, and I have been overwhelmed by all the messages I have received since the announcement on Friday. I cannot wait to play at Old Trafford in front of a full stadium and see all the fans again. I’m looking forward to joining up with the team after the international games, and I hope we have a very successful season ahead.”
Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also welcomed back his former teammate with great excitement, saying: “You run out of words to describe Cristiano. He is not only a marvellous player, but also a great human being. To have the desire and the ability to play at the top level for such a long period requires a very special person. I am absolutely delighted he is coming home to where it all started.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Juventus posted a farewell message for Ronaldo, while also confirming the monetary figures of the transfer in a press release. The Bianconeri confirmed that they will be receiving a sum of €15 million, payable over five years, along with add-ons worth €8 million based on the Portuguese meeting specific performance objectives.
In his previous stint at Manchester United, Ronaldo scored 118 goals in 292 games. If everything goes according to plans, the Portuguese talisman could be in action when the Red Devils face off against Newcastle United at Old Trafford right after the international break.
