Diogo Dalot reveals Cristiano Ronaldo told him Man United striker would fail

Diogo Dalot says Cristiano Ronaldo once told him that an undisclosed Manchester United striker ‘wouldn’t make it’ at the club.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner claimed the player did not possess enough ‘fire’ to achieve greatness at Old Trafford.

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Dalot, who played alongside compatriot Ronaldo during the forward’s second spell at the club, initiated speculation over who the mystery player could be.

In a piece for Players’ Tribune, Dalot said: “That season with Cristiano was when I really started to grow as a player and as a person.

“I lost count of the number of predictions he got right, because he knows so well what it takes to go to the top.

Unimpressed

“If anyone skipped a set in the gym, he would notice. We had a striker here who did really well for us in his first season, but Cristiano said, ‘He’s not gonna make it here.’

“I said, ‘Cris, he scored two goals today!’

“He said, ‘Yeah, but he didn’t have the fire to go for the third.’”

Attention has quickly turned to who Dalot could have been referring to.

A quick search through the archives shows that during the season of Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford in 2021/22, Bruno Fernandes was the sole player to net a double, though he is not a striker.

He managed the feat twice, with one coming on the opening day of the season and the other in a fixture against Aston Villa in January.

The following season both Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford scored twice in matches prior to Ronaldo’s bombshell exit in November 2022 following a public fallout with boss Erik ten Hag.

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Those came in Ronaldo’s second season and not his first as explained by Dalot, suggesting his timelines were potentially a little confused.

Or Ronaldo could have been referring to former United striker Mason Greenwood.

Although Greenwood did not score twice whilst playing alongside Ronaldo, he netted doubles on three occasions just prior to the Portuguese’s return to Old Trafford, something Ronaldo may have observed.

Greenwood burst onto the scene in the 2019/20 season but his United career came to an abrupt end during the 2021/22 season after he was arrested and later charged with attempted rape, assault and controlling and coercive behaviour.

The player denied the charges and they were later dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service following the ‘withdrawal of key witnesses and new material coming to light’.

Greenwood now plays in France with Marseille and has netted 48 goals in 81 matches for the club.

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He has been linked with a move away this summer with Turkish giants Fenerbahce keen on signing him.

Dealing with negativity

Meanwhile, Dalot, who is gearing up for the World Cup with Portugal, also touched on his ability to deal with the criticism he has faced during his time at Old Trafford.

“One thing I’ve learned is that it’s never as bad as what the outside world tells you,” Dalot added.

“Worst right-back in the league. Should not be playing for Man United.

“I know it’s not true.”