The ink had barely dried on his new Manchester United contract and Cristiano Ronaldo was already confirming to the world why he had completed a sensational return to Old Trafford.
"I think it’s the best decision that I have made," Ronaldo explained, speaking back in September. "It’s right on point in my opinion.
"I moved from Juventus now to Manchester, it's a new chapter, I'm so happy and glad, and I want to carry on again, to make history, to try to help Manchester achieve great results, to win trophies and number one of them, to win great things."
Ronaldo had returned at a time when the excitement levels around Old Trafford had not been so vibrant since the latter stages of Sir Alex Ferguson's rein; Raphael Varane had been signed in a big-money deal from Real Madrid, United's long-term search for a right-winger had been brought to a close with the addition of Jadon Sancho, and the club had enjoyed a strong start to the season.
Everything was falling into place just perfectly. United looked as though last season's Premier League runners-up spot could be improved upon as they battled the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City in pursuit of what Ronaldo had signed up for.
Fast-forward a little over four months and those hopes are already a distant memory, with the club currently occupying seventh place in the Premier League table and four points shy of the top four. What must Ronaldo be thinking, putting pen to paper on a two-year deal, with the club holding the option of a third, and now facing a first season out of the Champions League in two decades?
United are locked in a four-way battle for fourth spot, with Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham all chasing the same ambition of scraping into next season's UEFA Champions League.
The prospect of missing out on the top four altogether would have catastrophic consequences for the club, not only financially but also on their ability to attract big-name talent and keep hold of their star assets, many of who would not settle for anything less than playing Champions League football on a Tuesday or Wednesday evening.
After all, Ronaldo signed up to be lighting up European club football's premier competition on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, not to be sitting at home watching it on TV, ahead of playing an unknown relative minnow later in the week in the UEFA Europa League.
The same goes for transfer targets such as West Ham ace Declan Rice and Erling Haaland of Borussia Dortmund. Both players, rightfully so, are in high demand and are being chased by numerous big-name clubs, especially the latter. If United are serious about signing either of them, or perhaps both, a lack of Champions League football would immediately extinguish any hope.
Rice, despite currently playing in the Europa League with West Ham, and Haaland are not going to join a club that offers them second-tier action. That will not suffice for players of their capabilities, credentials and wishes.
Therefore, this is a good indicator of where United are currently at in regards to their immediate and long-term future. Missing out on Champions League football next term is likely to significantly impact their attempts to build a squad not just for the here and now, but also the future.
Why would the likes of Haaland, also wanted by the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, opt for Old Trafford? The Champions League is the pinnacle of club football and it is the competition that every great player wants to play in.
As well as new signings being put off, senior United stars such as Bruno Fernandes, Sancho, Ronaldo and Varane could be tempted to fly the nest quickly. Paul Pogba's mind would be made up, if not already. None of those players will want to ply their trade in the Europa League, even though it will be their very own performances that dictate whether or not that possibility turns into a reality.
Therefore, United's current crop of under-performing stars, such as Ronaldo and Fernandes, hold the keys to United's long-term future. Failure to secure a top-four finish this season could spell the beginning of more frustration, both on and off the pitch, regardless of who is pacing up and down the Old Trafford technical area next season.
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