Ronaldo made his return to Old Trafford in the summer of 2021, a remarkable comeback 12 years after he left for Real Madrid.
His second stint began on a high note, with the Portuguese star scoring twice in his homecoming match against Newcastle.
However, Manchester United’s performance gradually declined, leading to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s dismissal just four months into the 2021–22 season.
The former United manager has since acknowledged that his choice to bring Ronaldo back was a regrettable decision, and he has offered insights into the circumstances that ultimately led to the unfortunate conclusion of his tenure.
Speaking to The Athletic, Solskjaer said: “It was a decision that was very difficult to turn down and I felt we had to take it, but it turned out wrong.
It felt so right when he signed and the fans felt that at that Newcastle game when Old Trafford was rocking (after Ronaldo scored twice in a 4-1 win). He was still one of the best goal scorers in the world, and he was looking strong.
“When I looked at the fixtures, it was going to be a deciding period: Manchester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, and Leicester away. Then Chelsea and Arsenal, plus Champions League games Things went against us.
“It started with Aston Villa at home (a 1-0 defeat) and a late penalty miss. When you have a group, you need everyone to pull in the same direction. When things didn’t go right, you could see certain players and egos come out. We beat Tottenham convincingly 3-0 away, but then we lost two games.”
In his first season back at Manchester United, Ronaldo scored 24 goals and contributed three assists in 38 appearances. However, despite his efforts, the team recorded its lowest-ever Premier League points total.
Subsequently, Erik ten Hag was brought in to replace Solskjaer, and during the early stages of the 2022–23 season, Ronaldo found himself sidelined.
The Portuguese striker attracted controversy both on and off the field as he expressed frustration about his limited playing time. His situation escalated after a contentious interview with Piers Morgan, in which he criticised Ten Hag and his teammates. This eventually led to the termination of his contract by mutual agreement, and Ronaldo subsequently joined Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, contributing to a trend of top European talent heading to the Middle East.
Ten Hag’s team, which has won only twice in their first five Premier League matches, is set to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Ronaldo will return to action in the Saudi Pro League for Al-Nassr against Al-Ahli Saudi on Friday.