Cristiano Ronaldo had a pretty ugly falling out with Manchester United, which left the footballing world split into two halves. Ronaldo, who lost his place in the side as a regular starter since Erik Ten Hag took over as manager at Man Utd, soon started to throw tantrums and gave an explosive interview to journalist Piers Morgan which resulted in him leaving the club.

Ronaldo returned to United in September 2021 from Juventus and scored 24 goals across all competitions for the side. While his scoring record was exceptional, plenty of experts kept pointing that he wasn’t doing much in terms of contributing defensively to the team, which played its part in the downfall of Manchester United last season.

To add to this point, SKY Sports commentator Richard Keys mentioned that Cristiano Ronaldo held back footballers like Marcus Rashford during his second stint with the Red Devils. Rashford, who is having the best season of his footballing career in 2022-23 under Ten Hag, was far from his true self last year and there were multiple suggestions telling he could be sold. You can bet on all Premier League matches by registering on M88.

“If Ten Hag has done anything to help Rashford it was in getting rid of Ronaldo. Surely the debate about the stroppy self-centered superstar is now over? Yes – he got goals after re-signing for United but rarely were they significant goals. He was a pain around the club and he suffocated the life out of players like Rashford,” Keys said. 

“Here’s the proof – with Ronaldo starting games at United, Rashford scored eight goals in 19 games. Now Ronaldo has gone it’s 16 in 17 – 10 in 10 in the PL. Obviously there are other factors, but those stats don’t lie,” Keys added. Get more updates on this story on M88 Football.

After his contract with United was terminated with mutual consent between both parties, Ronaldo put pen to paper on a two-and-a-half-year deal with Saudi Pro League club Al-Nassr. The move saw him become the highest-paid footballer as he currently earns £173 million a year. He has made five appearances for the side so far, scoring five goals and made two assists. 

Manchester United are doing well for themselves as well, who are currently five points behind league leaders Arsenal having played one game extra. They also play the Carabao Cup final this Sunday. Follow M88 Sports to get track all these matches live.