Over the last few weeks the obituaries to Cristiano Ronaldo's career at the pinnacle of the game were beginning to get their first draft.
A run of one goal in 10 games - mostly against mediocre opposition - to start 2022 had fuelled the idea that the 37-year-old had begun the inevitable spiral downwards from the heights he'd been operating at consistently for the best part of 15 years. Ronaldo returned to Manchester United on a two-year deal but recently attention has begun to turn to the prospect of needing an upgrade on someone with 800 career goals as early as this summer.
Then came a performance so seismic on Saturday evening that it didn't just prolong Ronaldo's career, but maybe that of Tom Brady's too. The NFL great was as awed as the rest of us as he watched from the directors' box and less than 48 hours later Brady has reversed his retirement from his own sport.
READ MORE: Atletico could spring a surprise on United
With Edinson Cavani definitely leaving this summer United still need to sign a striker. Ralf Rangnick has made it clear a young forward is a necessity in this window, but with obvious target Erling Haaland clearly headed elsewhere, there may be a desire to use funds to strengthen in midfield and simply sign a striker who can fill in for Ronaldo, rather than replace him.
After a difficult start to the year, his stunning hat-trick was the affirmation that there is plenty of life in him yet. If Ronaldo can continue in that vein between now and the end of May then the next United manager may feel confident that they go into 2022/23 with a striker who turns 38 during the campaign as their leading marksman.
But even if that is the case it is only shunting a big decision further down the road. If United's hopes of landing Haaland have slipped away, then who is the elite forward who can shape this team's destiny beyond the summer of 2023, at a time when United should be looking to capitalise on the potential exits of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp.
There isn't a cast list of stellar names that United could go for at this stage. Haaland is clearly the most obvious target, but almost all of Europe's elite want the Norwegian precisely because he offers close to a guarantee of goals for a decade, at a time when strikers of a similar level are, if not extinct, then a dying breed.
Dusan Vlahovic's move to Juventus has taken the Serbian off the market and Harry Kane will be 30 in 18 months' time and clearly no longer a wise long-term investment. There is still time in the next season-and-a-half for someone to emerge or take a significant step forward, but perhaps one player who could fit the bill will be on show at Old Trafford tonight and looking to torment United again.
Joao Felix's brilliant diving header was the only goal Atletico scored in the Wanda Metropolitano three weeks ago but Ronaldo's international teammate looked the best forward player on show. He started ahead of Antoine Griezmann and Luis Suarez last month and the 22-year-old appears certain to lead the Atletico attack back in Manchester.
Felix has scored five goals in his last five games, including two in what was a crucial 3-1 La Liga success at Real Betis just over a week ago and this is his most consistent run of form since his move to the Spanish capital. A return of 27 goals in 104 games isn't as stellar as he would like but there remains a theory that he simply hasn't been a natural fit for Atletico, despite the club spending £113million on signing him from Benfica.
His spell under Diego Simeone will certainly have sharpened a few rough edges in Felix's game, but the Argentine coach has regularly struggled to transition Atleti from the dogged, defensive side he has had success with to a more attacking and ambitious outfit. There has been speculation that Atletico would sanction a sale if they could recoup a similar fee and while that is going to be beyond United this season, Felix could be a target in 2023 if he remains in Madrid and continues to show signs of improvement.
Comparisons with Ronaldo have been too easy given their status as Portuguese superstars. But he has also been compared with Sergio Aguero and he feels like a very modern forward, one whose strengths lies in his movement and unpredictability rather than any physical gifts.
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United will hope that version of Felix doesn't do any damage to them tonight. But as they assess a long-term plan to fill a vacancy in their forward line, he could be a player to keep an eye on.
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