There was a time when Cristiano Ronaldo rumours would have sent Manchester United fans into a giddy frenzy.
If there even a slight glimmer of a hope that the Portuguese forward would be tempted to leave Real Madrid, they’d be in full transfer muppet mode.
Feverishly discussing how he’d fit into the team, and salivating at the prospect of him teaming up with exciting talents like Jesse Lingard, Phil Jones and Marouane Fellaini.
That’s hardly the case any more. Sure you still get the odd excitable supporter getting their hopes up, but the majority of United fans have been hurt far too many times before. Like an emotionally scarred singleton nervous of getting back into the dating game, the Old Trafford faithful are cynical about such tittle-tattle.
They know that it nearly always results in a bumper new deal with the star’s existing club, be it Ronaldo at Real Madrid…or Gareth Bale at Real Madrid…or Sergio Ramos at Real Ma…you get the point. The latest suggestions are that poor old Cristiano is adamant he’s leaving Spain, fed up with tax investigations and what-not.
United’s name has popped up (obviously) as well as that of PSG, and this could now become the tedious saga of the summer. Quite apart from falling for the gossip of an Old Trafford return for the 32-year-old, supporters of the Europa League winners are concerned that it could kibosh their hopes of signing Real teammate Alvaro Morata.
There are four potential scenarios to concern United fans:
1) Real worry that Ronaldo may actually leave, and therefore decide to keep a hold of the Morata
2) Morata starts to wonder whether Ronaldo may leave and allow him more playing time, so delays/turns down an Old Trafford move
3) United themselves stall on the sure thing of a Morata deal in the pie-in-the-sky hope they can lure Ronaldo
4) Ronaldo does move…to PSG – meaning Real don’t want to sell Morata at all.
As you can see below, frustration is growing about an unwelcome distraction to actually signing players.
Real Madrid and Manchester United's talks for Morata are now on stand-by because of the Cristiano Ronaldo situation [@LucasNavarreteM] #MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtdUpdates_) June 17, 2017
Don't you think Ronaldo wanting to leave might affect our chances of landing Morata? I think we should close the deal ASAP otherwise another
— Seyi (@Seyibee) June 16, 2017
Does Ronaldo leaving fuck up our chances of signing Morata? #mufc
— Jas Grewal (@JazzyJ_91) June 16, 2017
Morata stays if Ronaldo leaves.
— DM (@DerLeitwoIf) June 16, 2017
And so @ManUtd fans believe Ronaldo loves the club, when with his agent Mendes, they are going to ruin our chances of signing Morata
— Seyi (@Seyibee) June 17, 2017
There is no way in hell we are getting both Morata and Ronaldo. It will be deja vu for Morata. #MUFC
— Red (@talkingdevil) June 16, 2017
Mbappe is coming. We'd keep Morata in the case of Ronaldo leaving, can't afford losing 2 forwards. It sucks, but it isn't impossible
— K🇵🇸 (@DopeSR4) June 16, 2017
