Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has expressed that the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo possibly distorted the flow of things at Manchester United.
Solskjaer shared that Manchester United hijacked Ronaldo’s move to Manchester City to stop him from significantly improving their city rivals.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Responds To Questions Over Regrets On Manchester United Re-signing Cristiano Ronaldo
Quizzed on if he had any regrets about the Old Trafford side re-signing Cristiano Ronaldo, Solskjaer told the Oslo Business Forum that he would need to provide a bit of context to answer the question.
He said: “To answer that, a little context is needed. Cristiano Ronaldo, one of the best players in the world for the last 15 years. I played with him. He played for Manchester United.”
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer pointed out the history Ronaldo has with Manchester United and shockingly stated that he could have been more productive at Manchester City than Erling Haaland.
The Norwegian tactician said: “He has a history with the club, and he’s leaving Juventus, but we can not give him to Manchester City because he will score more goals than Erling Haaland is doing at the moment probably.”
The Signing Of Cristiano Ronaldo Affected The Dressing Room Of Manchester United – Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Says
Solskjaer added that in hindsight he feels the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo affected Manchester United’s dressing room and the oneness in the team.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer further asserted that the manner in which the Manchester-based club pushed to sign Ronaldo possibly made other players feel less important.
The 51-year-old said: “So I speak to Cristiano. We get him to Man Utd but I think maybe that affected the whole dressing room, the dynamic in the dressing room.
“Maybe other players felt less important because of course this is one of the world superstars that comes in.”
Cristiano Ronaldo’s 2nd Stint At Manchester United
Cristiano Ronaldo re-signed for Manchester United from Juventus in August 2021 for a fee of €17 million.
Ronaldo had a great first season at Manchester United under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and interim boss Ralf Ragnick.
The Portuguese scored 24 goals in 38 games across all competitions in his first season back at the Old Trafford side, however, he lost his place in the club’s XI following the arrival of Erik ten Hag.
Ten Hag dropped Cristiano Ronaldo to the bench for much of the opening games of the 2022/23 season and that resulted in the pair falling out.
Ronaldo acrimoniously exited Manchester United in November 2022 after his contract was mutually terminated following an explosive interview with British media personality Piers Morgan, where he bashed handlers of the club and shared that Erik ten Hag disrespected him.
Cristiano Ronaldo had initially played for Manchester United between 2003 and 2009, when he joined the side from Sporting Lisbon for a fee of €19 million.
Cristiano Ronaldo At Al Nassr
Subsequently, the 39-year-old joined Saudi Arabian giants Al Nassr in January 2023 and he has been producing top performances for the Asian side.
Cristiano Ronaldo has made 71 appearances for the Knights of Najd, scoring 64 goals and providing 17 assists across all competitions.
Manchester United
The Red Devils have had a poor start to the 2024/25 season, as they have not lived up to the expectations of the fans despite having a busy summer and signing top stars like Matthijs de Ligt, Manuel Ugarte, and Noussair Mazraoui, amongst others.
Erik ten Hag’s side currently occupy the 11th spot on the Premier League table, with 7 points from 5 matches, having won 2 games, drawn 1, and lost 2.
They recently played out a 1-1 draw with FC Twente in their opening game of the 2024/25 UEFA Europa League season.
Manchester United return to action on September 29, 2024, with a home game against Tottenham Hotspur.
