The moment Cristiano Ronaldo realised he would be staying at Manchester United, against his will after seeking a transfer, his priorities changed.
Euphoria had reached fever pitch at Old Trafford in the summer of 2021 as the big names came bursting through the doors. United’s long-running pursuit of Jadon Sancho finally paid off, four-time European Cup winner Raphael Varane seemed a substantial upgrade on Victor Lindelof, and homecoming hero Ronaldo the icing on the cake.
A long-overdue title challenge was on the horizon. The renaissance mission Ronaldo was supposed to spearhead, however, turned into a disaster as United finished with their lowest points total in Premier League history, and thus the goalposts shifted.
The title had never been so out of reach in the post Sir Alex Ferguson era. Ronaldo, therefore, wanted out. Winning things at United meant a great deal to the player who had not forgotten how the club put a scrawny teenager from Madeira on the map.