Cristiano Ronaldo was welcomed back to Manchester United in the summer as a returning hero after spending 12 years away.
The Portuguese superstar was signed by Sir Alex Ferguson as a teenager and morphed into the world's best player before Real Madrid came knocking. His record-breaking exploits since have seen him mentioned as arguably the greatest of all time, and he quit Juventus in the summer to make a Premier League return at Old Trafford. A brace on his debut vs Newcastle United led to the inevitable fanfare and increase in expectations.
However, things have not gone to plan since; a United side expected to challenge for the title are instead now struggling to make the top four. It could mean Europa League football for the Red Devils and Ronaldo next term. A new manager will arrive in the coming months and with it an overhaul could be on the cards, which has thrust the Portuguese's forward into doubt.
The 37-year-old remains a hugely influential figure and he opted to seek new challenges when he left Madrid and, more recently, Juventus. His exits have been largely done on his own terms with his former employers left to begin life without him.
Three of Europe's biggest names have had to adapt without the global superstar and have done so with varying degrees of success. Mirror Football takes a look at how things played out for all three.
Manchester United - 2009
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Ronaldo left the Red Devils after being thwarted by Lionel Messi and Barcelona in the second of back-to-back Champions League finals. United received a world record fee - 12 months after Ronaldo had initially signalled his desire to depart - but were left with a void that could realistically not be filled. They spent £16million of Ronaldo's £80million fee on Antonio Valencia to occupy a spot on the right wing.
Ronaldo left when arguably at the peak of his powers, especially until he transitioned from a winger to a No 9. United had just completed a hat-trick of Premier League titles but were unable to defend their crown the following year. Whilst they remained a well-oiled unit they lacked that star quality, the individual who could win games on his own, having not only lost Ronaldo, but Carlos Tevez also.
The exit of Ronaldo did prove to be the making of Rooney, who then assumed centre stage and he scored a career high 34 goals in 2009/10. Despite that Ferguson's team only had a League Cup to show for their efforts as they finished a point behind Chelsea in the league. United would ultimately never hit the heights they achieved in the Ronaldo-era following his departure despite adding two more League titles and making another Champions League final in 2011.
Real Madrid - 2018
Having just completed an unprecedented Champions League hat-trick Ronaldo decided, after 10 seasons at the Bernabeu, it was time to try something new. He and Florentino Perez had clashed and, despite being 33, Los Blancos managed to make a profit on Ronaldo as they sold him for £89million.
Their problem was that Zinedine Zidane decided to quit the dugout that same summer. It meant two of the linchpins of their recent success were gone and Julen Lopetegui was handed a poisoned chalice... and he started with negative equity among much of the Madrid media, having arranged to take the job ahead of Spain's World Cup campaign - ultimately being sacked before the kickoff in Russia.
The hope was that players like Gareth Bale would thrive now they were no longer in Ronaldo's shadow, but it was quite the opposite.
Los Blancos would go through two managers, lose 4-1 to Ajax at the Bernabeu as they exited the Champions League and finished nine points behind rivals and La Liga champions Barcelona. The team would score just 63 goals - their lowest total of the 21st century.
Long-term they have been able to recover with Karim Benzema the biggest success story of the post-Ronaldo era and Real now look on course for a second La Liga title in third years. The lack of an ultimate marquee name hasn't gone unnoticed however and Perez is under pressure to deliver one of Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland this summer.
Juventus - 2021
European football journalist Jonathan Wilson described Ronaldo's move to Juventus as "one of the worst transfers in the history of football". Despite his goalscoring exploits in Italy, the Portuguese's switch to Serie A seems to look even worse with each passing day.
Ronaldo was Andrea Agnelli's great Champions League gamble, signed to take the Bianconeri to European glory. With their league dominance so cemented, it became an obsession for Agnelli and, ultimately, Ronaldo cost Juve in the region of £210million over his three year stint. By the time Ronaldo had left they'd surrendered their Serie A title and, in three attempts, failed to make it past the last eight in Europe.
Juventus rehired Max Allegri in the summer and set about rebuilding an ageing, lop-sided squad that had been unable to regenerate due to the millions invested in Ronaldo's transfer fee and salary, plus financial mismanagement elsewhere. Now, after a slow start, the Bianconeri are in the midst of a 16 match unbeaten run in Serie A as they eye a late title charge. The addition of Dusan Vlahovic in January has guaranteed them a final third threat and they are looking to add younger players to the team this summer.
Even in his final season, many in Italy will argue that Juventus' most impressive performers were the likes of Federico Chiesa and Paulo Dybala - not Ronaldo. The consensus from those who've spoken out is that the Old Lady did not operate as a collective in his final season, with Allegri saying earlier this year: “I think that personal targets have been put aside and there is more focus on the team."
