Is Cristiano Ronaldo staying the best thing for Manchester United?

When the world-renowned striker transferred to Manchester United last summer from Italian Serie A club Juventus, it was heralded as a move that would propel the EPL club to the top of the league table. Fast-forward one year later, and Man U is following up a sixth-place finish in 2021-22 with a middle-of-the-pack effort in their new season. Ronaldo, who was absent during the preseason, has no points through four matches in the current campaign. 

On-field contributions aside, Ronaldo has also been targeted for much of his return to the EPL club as being more of a distraction than anything else. Rumors started early last season that there was tension in the locker room, and his absence from this preseason for family reasons instantly drummed up whispers that he was looking to play somewhere else. Players from other clubs were even quoted as wanting him to join their teams even as Manchester insisted he wasn't on the move.

On one hand, the argument can be made that's the price you pay for having one of the best players in the world on your roster. Then again, how much distraction can one team take before it genuinely becomes an irreparable issue?

With Ronaldo appearing to not be on the move anywhere, both sides will have to make this setup work for at least one more season. With just four matches in the books this season, whether this is the best decision for both sides still remains to be seen.