Manchester United club says it closed a two-year deal with Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar will be going back to the English football team, where he won eight major trophies between 2003 and 2009. The Premier League Club had declared earlier that they had agreed on signing a deal with Juventus, the Italian giants, to bring Ronaldo back to Manchester. The transfer was finalized on Tuesday after the 36-year-old striker passed a medical assessment, acquired a visa, and agreed on personal conditions.
Juventus will be paid a fee of 15 million euros over five years. The amount could be added by 8 million euros, but it will all depend on “specific performance objectives” Ronaldo attains. “Manchester is a club that has always had a special place in my heart, and I have been overwhelmed by all the messages I have received since the announcement on Friday,” Ronaldo stated. “I cannot wait to play at Old Trafford in front of a full stadium and see all the fans again. I’m looking forward to joining up with the team after the international games break, and I have a very successful season ahead.”
Ronaldo will be joining the team after the international break and could play his first game on September 11 when they host Newcastle United. Ronaldo won the Premier League title with Manchester three times, one FA Cup, and two League Cups, but the team has not won the title since 2013. He has also won with Real Madrid and Juventus.
“You lack words to describe Cristiano. He is not only a marvelous but also a great human being,” said Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. “To have the desire and the ability to play at the top level for such a long period requires an extraordinary person.” David de Gea, the goalkeeper of United, said it is like a dream having Ronaldo back at the club. Former manager Roy Keane described Ronaldo as a “born winner.”
Ronaldo stayed in Old Trafford for six seasons from 2003 to 2009, where he became the winner for the Ballon d’Or as the world’s best footballer in 2008, together with his team prizes. He then shifted to Real Madrid after signing a then-world record deal of 80 million pounds.
In his first seasons in United, he scored 118 goals in 292 games and achieved the Premier League Golden Boot between 2007 and 2008, the year he assisted the team in claiming their last Champions League title.
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