Neville: ‘Man Utd signed Ronaldo to shut fans up’
Former Manchester United man Gary Neville insists the club only signed Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus to ‘shut fans up’ and it won’t make them Premier League contenders.
The 36-year-old striker has agreed a move for a reported €15m plus numerous add-ons, having decided to leave Juve after three seasons.
He will have his medical in Portugal and sign the paperwork, but not travel to Manchester until after the break for international duty.
“The Glazers have done what they normally do when they get put under pressure. They make two or three signings and basically, it shuts people up,” Neville told Sky Sports UK.
“I think there are deep-rooted issues at United. They couldn’t let Ronaldo go to Manchester City. They’ve had it in the past with the likes of [Alexis] Sanchez when he was going to Man City and they stepped in.
“They had to step in at this point, whether they wanted to or not is another matter. No Man United fan can complain with the three players they’ve got this summer.”
Along with Ronaldo, Manchester United have also brought in Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane, the latter making his debut this evening.
“I made the prediction on Monday Night Football that it would finish Man City, Chelsea and Man United I’m not going to change that.
“I don’t think the Ronaldo signing makes them a better team than Chelsea, who won the Champions League last season, and Man City, who were 20 points clear.”
Another pundit and former Manchester United player, Roy Keane, joked at half-time during today’s game against Wolves that Ronaldo “might want to pull out of the deal” if he saw that performance.
Despite their initial struggles, United did eventually win 1-0.