We all know how Cristiano Ronaldo‘s return to Manchester United went! What could have been a fairytale run became a nightmare for both parties. Despite an excellent start with the Red Devils, things went down the drain for the Portuguese following Erik ten Hag‘s arrival as the head coach. The Dutchman’s tactics had no room for the aging icon and frustrated by the disrespect, Cristiano severed all ties with the club, jetting off to Saudi Arabia.

It’s hard to disregard the notion that there might have been a different way to handle the situation. Former Manchester United star, Juan Mata, in an exclusive interview with FourFourTwo, talked about his experience of sharing the locker room with Cristiano Ronaldo after his return to Old Trafford. The Spaniard was delighted with the Portuguese’s return and believed things could have been very different under other circumstances.

Mata stated, “I connected with Cristiano during many conversations. He’s a much closer person than people imagine. I always thought that when it came to the 80th minute of a game, the ball had to go to him to win. He always appeared in decisive moments. However, circumstances around him prevented him from getting more quality minutes in his second season.”

Juan Mata played a season alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United before moving to Galatasaray. Things could have been different, with multiple Premier League teams gunning for his signatures. However, Mata had all the trust in Cristiano and was willing to sit on the bench for it!

Juan Mata stayed at Manchester United just to play with Cristiano Ronaldo

Things looked bleak for Juan Mata under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with the midfielder spending most of the time on the bench. Despite that, Mata snubbed offers from mid-table Premier League sides as he trusted the returning Cristiano Ronaldo to lead the team to the league title!

The Spaniard claimed, “After so many years at the club, it would have hurt me to leave if United then won the Premier League. I didn’t want to miss that moment. I dreamed of celebrating a league title at Old Trafford. I thought we could win the Premier League again. He had such high standards that he could drag the rest with him.”

Well, Juan Mata’s words aren’t wrong with Cristiano Ronaldo single-handedly changing the landscape of the Saudi Pro League. Following his move to Al Nassr in December 2022, the Middle Eastern league has become a hotspot for some of the best players in the world. Do you think Cristiano Ronaldo could have carried Manchester United to the Premier League title? Sound off in the comments below.