Gary Neville believes Cristiano Ronaldo will stay on at Manchester United next season despite inadvertently causing an imbalance in the dressing room when he returned.
The 37-year-old made an emphatic homecoming in August and went on to score 24 Premier League goals, including two on his debut against Newcastle. But the Portugal captain's presence at Old Trafford has been divisive.
Many fans have argued that United would be further in the mire if it wasn't for Ronaldo's goals, while others believe he has contributed to their demise. Neville has tipped Ronaldo to stay on at the club, but noted the rocky impact he has had on three teammates - namely Edinson Cavani, Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire.
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"I think he's staying," he said while appearing on the latest episode of the Overlap. "I think at the start of the season, he created a problem straightaway with Cavani.
"[He was] being pleaded to stay and lead the attack for the year, but when they signed Ronaldo, Cavani was shot then and finished. It upset the dynamic in the dressing room for Bruno.
"I think Bruno looks up to him like a godfather in Portugal so it made him feel a bit inferior to what he was before. It made Maguire a little bit inferior as captain just naturally - nothing from Ronaldo's doing this.
"Just his presence itself on the pitch means everyone's looking to Cristiano with Harry trying to establish himself as United captain."
Neville added: "Harry Maguire has gone from someone who I think was growing on the pitch last season during Covid to someone who is now looks like he is shot to pieces when he pulls on a red shirt. Bruno looks like half the player.
"The rest of them, the young players, look completely like you've lost faith in them, let's get rid of them. That's when something's gone fundamentally wrong in the club, in the changing room, with the leadership.
"I don't think you can dissolve anyone of blame, everybody has to take blame for that."
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