Dream Team gaffers have the entire international break to think about their strategy for September.
The central question to answer: is Cristiano Ronaldo a must-have asset?
Man United confirmed the return of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner to Old Trafford on Friday after a dramatic day of twists and turns during which he was initially linked with Man City.
The Portugal international is arguably the greatest goalscorer in football history – he’s scored at least 30 goals in ten of the last eleven seasons.
Ronaldo is without a doubt the most prestigious player to ever be introduced (reintroduced) to Dream Team.
And that’s why he will have a starting price of £7.5m.
That’s right, Ronaldo will instantly become the most-expensive player in the game.
He will be added once the deal is officially confirmed – Man United’s statement on Friday explained that an agreement had been reached ‘subject to agreement of personal terms, visa and medical’.
Under normal circumstances, a 36-year-old swanning in to upstage the likes of Harry Kane (£7.2m), Bruno Fernandes (£6.7m) and Romelu Lukaku (£6.5m) would seem like an admin error.
But Ronaldo is no normal 36-year-old.
Even in the most-competitive league in the world, he is almost guaranteed to produce 20 goals before the end of 2020/21.
He is a much-changed player from the dynamic phenomenon who left Man United in 2009.
Back then he was a wide forward who dribbled past players, drove his team up the pitch, and scored every type of goal from any range.
Since then he has evolved two or three times, adapting his game to elongate his career and ensure maximum effectiveness and efficiency.
In essence, he has become one of the world’s best poachers.
His aerial dominance, confident penalty technique, and razor-sharp anticipation make him persistent threat in the box.
In Fernandes, Paul Pogba (£4.8m), Jadon Sancho (£4.1m) and Luke Shaw (£3.6m), Man United have a potent supply line – Edinson Cavani (£4.5m) took full advantage of the Red Devils’ attacking might in the latter half of last season.
The Uruguayan is a different player to Ronaldo but the two share mastery of the penalty box with hundreds of goals to show for it.
If you have Kane in your XI then the easiest way to get Ronaldo in your team would be a straight swap with another transfer to make up the additional £0.3m – you should be able to find a suitable change that doesn’t represent a significant downgrade.
If you don’t have Kane in your team then acquiring Ronaldo may require more drastic changes elsewhere… but isn’t he worth it?
NEXT: A timely reminder that Cristiano Ronaldo holds the record for the most points in a Dream Team season
