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Manchester United recently announced the transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus and the news literally broke the internet.
The Portuguese is arguably the most marketable athlete in the history of professional sport and it came as no surprise that his return to Old Trafford generated excitement among fans.
Manchester United's post announcing his return on their official Instagram page garnered 12.7 million likes and counting, which represents the most likes gotten by any sports team on the platform.
Cristiano Ronaldo returns to Old Trafford for a reported fee of £25 million. The 36-year-old was initially speculated to be on his way to Manchester City before the shocking turn of events.
Manchester United are one of the most followed clubs in the world and their website crashed due to excess web traffic in the immediate aftermath of news concerning Ronaldo's transfer.
The Portuguese is a fan favorite at Old Trafford following his record-breaking exploits in the six-year period between 2003 and 2009.
He made 292 appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils, scoring 118 goals and winning a host of individual honors before his then world-record transfer to Real Madrid.
Since then, Ronaldo has gone on to become one of the greatest players in history and has set several records across his spells with Real Madrid and Juventus. He is the all-time top-scorer for Real Madrid (450 goals) as well as in the Champions League (134 goals).
Cristiano Ronaldo's return installs Manchester United as genuine title contenders
Manchester United have fallen some way off the heights they occupied during Cristiano Ronaldo's first spell.
The Portugal international left with the club having won a three-peat of league titles, as well as making it to consecutive UEFA Champions League final appearances.
This was a position they occupied for the next few years but Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013 altered the Premier League landscape.
Since then, Manchester United have been playing catch-up to Manchester City, Chelsea and most jarringly Liverpool, and have been nowhere near challenging for the league.
However, significant progress has been made on the recruitment front in recent years and their squad depth is now one of the strongest in the league.
Cristiano Ronaldo's addition to the ranks further boosts Manchester United's pedigree on the field.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is one of the most driven players in history. His ambition is sure to rub off on some of the younger players who have no experience of winning.
Nevertheless, the gains made by the elite Premier League teams mean that Manchester United will still have their work cut out against the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool.
However, with Cristiano Ronaldo leading the line, the odds are heavily in their favor.
