Former Arsenal star, Paul Merson, has insisted that Cristiano Ronaldo’s signing for Manchester United was not a great one.
Merson also said that Ronaldo would leave Man United in the summer, adding that he would be shocked if the Portugal captain remained at Old Trafford at the end of the season.
Ronaldo, who scored a hat-trick in Man United’s Premier League 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur, rejoined the Red Devils from Juventus last summer.
But Merson was not surprised by Ronaldo’s hat-trick against Tottenham.
“You never know what Manchester United’s team is going to turn up,” Merson wrote in a column for Sky Sports.
“I always thought the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo wasn’t great. He gets a hat-trick on Saturday and everybody’s going mad, but put the ball in the box and Ronaldo will score goals. It’s simple.
“The header didn’t shock me one iota. He’s the best header of the ball in the world. He hangs in the air, but you’ve got to put the ball in the box.
“He’s not going to do two foot-overs, beat two players and then smash the ball in the top corner – those days are gone.
“But put the ball in the box and the man is the best finisher there’s ever been. You can’t score that many goals if you’re not a good finisher.
“Do I think he’ll still be there next season? No, absolutely not. I would be shocked if he was still there.”
