"It was just to lift the fans" - Carragher suggests Manchester United were made to look like a 'small club' when they decided to re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo 

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes Manchester United's signing of Cristiano Ronaldo last summer made the club seem small.

Ronaldo rejoined the Red Devils from Juventus for £13.5 million last summer, with fans rejoicing over the return of one of their legendary players.

The Portuguese star had been linked with a move to neighbours Manchester City before United swept in and lured the forward back to Old Trafford.

It has been a difficult reunion for the 37-year-old as Manchester United have had a season to forget.

They have exited all cup competitions and seem unlikely to finish in the top four.

Carragher has suggested that the signing of the Portugal captain was only made to keep fans on the club's side. He also touched on the difficulties the signing has brought to the club.

He told Sky Sports (via Daily Mail):

"I've always been of the opinion that they should move him on, but right now, there are so many problems - "I need to get a midfielder, I need to get a centre-back." We've seen this season that when Ronaldo doesn't play or gets brought off, it's a massive story."

The former England centre-back continued:

'If you bring in strikers, are they to play or back up Ronaldo? If you're the new manager, you might think you don't need that on your plate. They've got other problems. Would Liverpool bring back Luis Suarez? I don't think so. United should be getting Erling Haaland. Man City are getting him."

Carragher then compared the signing of Ronaldo to that of Everton's reunion with Wayne Rooney in 2017.

He added:

"It's like United are a small club. It's like when Rooney went back to Everton. It was just to lift the fans."

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Cristiano Ronaldo has been one positive in Manchester United's woeful campaign

The veteran forward continues to flourish despite United's woes

There has been much debate over Manchester United's decision to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back to the club.

The Portuguese star had had huge success during his first stint at Old Trafford, winning three Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup.

But his return to the Red Devils has shown just how huge of a nosedive the club have experienced since his days at the club the first time around.

Manchester United lack hunger and cohesion, which was instrumental in their huge success during the forward's first period at the club.

Despite this, it cannot be argued that the 37-year-old hasn't had personal success this season despite his side's indifferent campaign.

The talismanic forward has scored 18 goals in 29 Premier League appearances and trails only Mohamed Salah (22) and Son Heung Min (19) on the top-scorer charts.

Time will tell as to whether the veteran striker is going to be part of Erik Ten Hag's revolution, but he still has a huge impact despite being in the later stages of his career.