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LONDON. — When Cristiano Ronaldo made his sensational return to Manchester United last summer, it was billed as the final piece in the jigsaw for a club seeking to rediscover its former glories.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had secured a second-place finish in the English Premier League football and with big-money acquisitions Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane also coming in, a push for league title number 21 and the first since 2013 was being considered as a realistic possibility. 

But six months on, Solskjaer has been sacked and Ronaldo is enduring his longest goal drought in over a decade as the Red Devils crave consistency, struggle to find the net and toil for a top-four position.

The Portuguese forward has still got some vital goals for the side this season, but the dream return is fast turning into a nightmare, with interim boss Ralf Rangnick stating openly that United’s need for a striker in the summer is an “obvious” one. — BBC Sport