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Gary Neville sends warning to group of Man Utd players after Cristiano Ronaldo transfer
Manchester United are set to finalise the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo in the coming days.
Manchester United confirm Cristiano Ronaldo return
Manchester United legend Gary Neville has warned the younger players at the club that they will have no excuses but to match the standards of Cristiano Ronaldo following his return to Old Trafford. Ronaldo is set to sign a two-year contract at United after a deal was agreed with Juventus on Friday.
Ronaldo is set to return to United 12 years after leaving the Premier League for Real Madrid.
The Red Devils will pay up to £20m to Juve for the Portugal superstar.
Neville says Ronaldo will have a big influence on the younger players and it is down to them to follow his example.
"The standards that he should set in that dressing room, the way in which he should influence those younger players," he said on Sky Sports.
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"There's some younger players that need really good standards putting into them.
"They've got one of the greatest football players of all time, who will basically do every single thing right. That's on and off the pitch.
"So they'll have nowhere to go in respect of their professionalism, their work ethic, their everything."
Ronaldo turns 37 next February but Neville believes it was a necessary signing after it became clear they were not able to sign a top striker in their prime this summer.
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The pundit added: "It's a short-term measure, there's no doubt about that, as is [Edinson] Cavani.
"They can't get one of these top strikers, [Harry] Kane, [Erling] Haaland, [Romelu] Lukaku who has obviously been at Old Trafford, was never going to come to Old Trafford this summer.
"So I think they needed it because I'm not sure they've got a 25-30 goal striker.
"I think what Cristiano gives you is a guarantee of goals and the whole place will be electric for the next few months, absolutely electric."
Neville says United fans should not expect the same type of player than they were used to during Ronaldo's first spell at the club.
But he thinks he can be equally effective in a different position on the pitch.
"He's not the player he was, he was a dynamic, running player 12 years ago when he was at Old Trafford," Neville continued.
"He's now going to be a box player, he's going to make brilliant movements in and around the box to score goals.
"But there are enough legs in that team around him to enable him to be able to stand up there and do what he does best now in this period of his career."