Arsenal were linked with a move to sign Cristiano Ronaldo recently, and former Gunner Mesut Ozil has released a lengthy statement on the Portuguese superstar.
Ronaldo is a free agent now following his controversial exit from Manchester United last month. His bombshell interview with Piers Morgan brought an end to his Old Trafford career, and he has come under immense criticism since.
Ozil, however, has his back!
Mesut Ozil issues statement on Cristiano Ronaldo after claims Arsenal want to sign him
Just a few days ago, Rudy Galetti revealed on his website that Arsenal would like to sign Ronaldo on a free transfer.
Gabriel Jesus has undergone surgery, and the Brazilian is expected to spend about three months on the sidelines. That leaves us with just Eddie Nketiah up top, and that may cost us.
Arsenal fans are hoping to see Mikel Arteta and Edu dive into the transfer market for a new striker, but should we go after Ronaldo? We don’t know, but Ozil certainly thinks he’s good enough.
The German hit out at pundits and media outlets who have been criticising Ronaldo for not scoring 50 goals a season now. He claims the reported Arsenal target deserves more respect for being one of the greatest athletes in the history of the game.
Ozil wrote in a lengthy Instagram post: “I really don’t get where this constant negativity from the press about Cristiano comes from… The media is just trying to get clicks, and pundits who don’t have a career anymore just want to get attention with his big name and try to make him look bad.
“He is soon 38 years old – so what’s the surprise that he doesn’t score 50 goals a season anymore?
“Every football fan out there should be happy to have seen him playing world-class football for 20 years – I don’t think anyone from the new generation will be able to match his numbers again. He will forever be in his own category. Everyone should show more respect to one of the greatest athletes in sports history.”
The Insider’s View:
Ozil does have a point there – Ronaldo is definitely one of the greatest footballers to ever play the game.
The Portuguese superstar, even at 37 years of age, is capable of performing at the highest level. He scored 24 goals in all competitions last season for a really, really poor Manchester United side, which is an outrageous return.
Would Ronaldo score goals in this Arsenal side? Definitely! However, it’s still a massive risk to bring him on board after all his tantrums over the last few months.
We just can’t see Arteta even considering a move for Ronaldo even though he’s available on a free transfer.
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