Manchester United will relish having Cristiano Ronaldo back. Partly because of his obvious ability and potential to make the difference. But also because they will no longer have to contend with talk of a move away, something that happened regularly during the final years of his first spell at Old Trafford.
Let’s face it. If you’re a good player, you instantly get linked with the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
And that happened with Ronaldo himself during his time at Old Trafford, especially during the years where he operated at the peak of his powers.
In 2008, rumours of a move to the Bernabeu were paramount.
He’d just propelled the club to Champions League and Premier League glory and, as a result, felt he was entitled to leave.
Ronaldo then kick-started a row by agreeing with Sepp Blatter, former president of FIFA, who said he was being treated like a slave.
“I agree with the statements of the president, he is right,” he said.
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“Well, did they tell Franco that? Jesus Christ! Eh, give me a break … Great clubs, clubs with great morals like Barcelona, have far better morals than Real Madrid will ever have.
“We know Real Madrid aren’t the only club who’d be interested in Ronaldo, but the others don’t come out and say it.”
Then, the row really heightened months later.
Ronaldo had been persuaded to stay at United by Sir Alex Ferguson, who jetted out to Lisbon to talk with his prized asset.
Yet talk of a move to Real rumbled on, angering the Scot in the process.
Ferguson decided to go public at the Club World Cup in Japan, famously calling Real a ‘mob’ and insisting he ‘wouldn’t sell them a virus’.
“You don’t think we’d get into a contract with that mob, do you? Jesus Christ,” he said.
“I wouldn’t sell them a virus.”
Then, just weeks before Ronaldo’s move to Spain was confirmed, Florentino Perez decided to lay down the gauntlet.
“What I want is for many of the best players in the world to play with us, Cristiano would be one of them,” he said.
“I’m going to work so that Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo can be with Real Madrid.”
And in the end, Perez got his man.
United had to let Ronaldo go when, really, they’d have kept him in an ideal world.
But, now, he’s there’s again. And, at the age of 36, there won’t be talk of a move away to Real Madrid every summer.
How he fares, without being burdened down by the weight of the rumours, remains to be seen.
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