It’s that time of the year again. The summer vacation is drawing its last breath, the grieving children are preparing for their return to school, and Jorge Mendes is trying to orchestrate another late escape for his most famed client. The super agent has been throwing baits all over the Old Continent in the hopes of rescuing Cristiano Ronaldo from his worst nightmare, otherwise known as The UEFA Europa League.
Astonishingly, this could see the Manchester United star sealing a return to Serie A, this time from the gates of Napoli – at least if Friday’s reports are to be believed. Now perhaps this story will end up being a mere smoke and mirrors, but it has certainly caught the attention of fans and observers alike.
So let’s try to pick up the main pros and cons for this theoretical transfer.
Pro #1: Experience and Winning Mentality
Following the departures of defensive leader Kalidou Koulibaly, club captain Lorenzo Insigne and record goal-scorer Dries Mertens, the Partenopei have been deprived of their most experienced players.
So in Ronaldo, Napoli will have a new De Facto leader whom they can rally around, one who has seen it all and conquered it all at the biggest stages for the largest part of the last two decades.
Con#1: Untimely Tactical Changes
Despite the significant departures mentioned above, the brilliant Luciano Spalletti has swiftly forged a new tactical scheme built around hungry young stars – the likes of Victor Osimhen, the revived Stanislav Lobotka and superb newcomer Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Undoubtedly, the Portuguese’s arrival would require some major tactical tweaking for him to fit within the manager’s plans, which could ultimately jeopardize the team’s current momentum and put the entire campaign at risk.
Pro #2: Goals and Goals
Even though the striker’s long-awaited Old Trafford return didn’t go according to plan, the 37-year-old was still the Red Devil’s most dangerous player upfront, providing important goals on timely occasions.
Ronaldo was also criticized for some of his performances during his stint at Juventus. Nonetheless, his goals never dried up, as he become the first Bianconeri player to collect a century of goals in less than three years at the club.
So despite his advanced age, his ability to find the back of net remains undoubted.
Con #2: Unguaranteed Success
As mentioned above, Ronaldo will bring the goals, but his successive employers have found silverware hard to come recently.
Of course the former Real Madrid star isn’t to blame for the recent shortcomings of Juventus and Man United, but at the same time, it’s obvious that he’s no longer capable of solely lifting a team on his broad shoulders as his younger version used to.
Pro #3: Unprecedented Exposure
Now surely Ronaldo wouldn’t be the first GOAT to sign for Napoli, but the days of Diego Armando Maradona are long gone now. Club president Aurelio De Laurentiis deserves major props for the team’s rebirth, but the southerners remain an afterthought on the continental stage.
However, their status would dramatically change with the addition of the biggest star in football and one of the most famous persons to walk the earth.
CR7 possesses an unparalleled media following and will bring an unprecedented exposure to the Serie A contenders who would certainly be able to make tons of cash through endless means.
Con #3: Destabilized Locker Room
As we’ve seen amidst his previous two transfers. The squad initially embraces Ronaldo, with the young players delighted to share a locker room with the biggest superstar in football.
However, things usually turn sour shortly after, especially when the results on the pitch fail to satisfy the Euro 2016 winner, who’s is after all a man obsessed with winning.
Add an impulsive president and a fiery fanbase to the equation, and you get a perfect recipe for an inevitable turmoil.
Conclusion
Although signing Ronaldo remains a tempting idea for any club in the world, this doesn’t sound like a suitable timing for Napoli to pull off such a risky manoeuvre.
For once, the atmosphere at the club seems tranquil with the manager and the president at peace with one another (at least of now). Moreover, Spalletti’s project is on the right track, and with new and exciting additions like Giacomo Raspadori and Tanguy Ndombele, the southerners could pose a serious threat for the Northern giants in the title race.
As a wise man once said: If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.
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