Cristiano Ronaldo should have signed for Manchester City, says Barnes

‘If he had come to Manchester City, he’d probably have 25 goals now’: John Barnes claims that Cristiano Ronaldo was WRONG to sign for United last summer and suggests that the 37-year-old’s ‘legs have gone’ ahead of derby

  • Cristiano Ronaldo signed for Manchester United over Manchester City last year
  • After a strong start to the season he has now scored once in his last 10 matches
  • John Barnes suggests that the 37-year-old should have moved to the Etihad
  • The pundit has also called out Ronaldo’s teammates for giving him poor service

John Barnes claims that Cristiano Ronaldo will be regretting not signing for Manchester City last summer.

The Portuguese forward was in advanced talks to move to the Etihad Stadium in August before making a last-minute switch to re-join Manchester United.

He made a strong start to life back at Old Trafford with nine goals in his first 11 appearances, but has now found the back of the net just once in his last 10 matches.

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored just one goal in his last 10 appearances for Manchester United

Barnes says that Ronaldo’s United teammates are a big reason why the 37-year-old has struggled in recent months.

‘His goal record is great for a 37-year-old, but I think if he had come to City, he’d probably have 25 goals now, because the good players there would have found him a lot easier,’ Barnes told the Mirror.

‘They would have had the vision and the technique to put him in, whereas I think some of the players at United simply don’t have that vision to put him in on goal.

John Barnes claims that Ronaldo would have been better off signing for Manchester City

Ronaldo made a strong start to life back at Old Trafford but has suffered a large dip in form

‘Then there’s the other argument that his legs have gone and he’s not got the pace he had four of five years ago.

‘I think what’s probably got him frustrated is that he’s not had the same service he’s been used to in the past and people haven’t seen him.’

When it looked like Ronaldo was going to sign for City last summer, Sir Alex Ferguson and ex-teammates such as Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra stepped in to convince the forward not to play for United’s rivals.

Sir Alex Ferguson convinced Ronaldo to join United over rivals Manchester City last summer

‘I rang him (Ronaldo) straight away: “What’s going on? Tell me you’re lying”‘, Ferdinand said. ‘Every type of no, no, no in the conversation.

‘I’m like all the fans, I’m exactly the same and we are all the same like that: “Please tell me you’re not going?”‘. 

Ronaldo will hope to arrest his poor run of form when the Red Devils travel to the Etihad Stadium for the Manchester derby on Sunday afternoon.




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