“He may have met his match” - Manchester United source suggests Cristiano Ronaldo is losing his place as Red Devils’ gym king

Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly regarded around the Red Devils' gym as the 'King of the Gym'. He is capable of leg pressing up to 250 kg. However, his household name as the club's strongest athlete is now under threat after the arrival of Casemiro from Real Madrid.

A club source told the Daily Star that the Brazilian midfielder can leg press up to a whopping 300 kg, beating the Portuguese ace by 50 kg. The source said:

“Ronny takes a lot of pride in his fitness and how muscular his legs are - few get consistently near the amount and weight he can load up. He’s not one for bench pressing, Ronny is a legs man, but it seems he may have met his match with Casemiro – he’s not the biggest guy in the world but he’s as strong as an ox and can push 300kg with his eyes shut.”

Casemiro joined Manchester United from Real Madrid in the summer transfer window for £60 million, plus £10 million in add-ons.

The Brazilian midfielder's work ethic in the gym did not go unnoticed at Madrid as well. Los Blancos midfielder Toni Kroos revealed his former teammate's extreme methods of motivating his fellow mates to work out. He said:

“It was impossible not to break a sweat in any situation. He wouldn’t let us relax even in the Turkish bath. Just meeting in there was another torment. Cas told someone to go and you almost had exercise bikes and the weights ready. A warning for your new colleagues - even the Turkish bath was a gym - you only allow people to lie down when it’s time to do sit-ups!”

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Real Madrid doctor's prior statements on why Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo is not the best athlete he's worked with

Although Ronaldo is a fitness icon known around the globe for his extraordinary physique, there are athletes that seem to have outshined the Manchester United forward.

One such player is Gareth Bale. The two forwards shared a significant period of time together at former club Real Madrid.

A former Los Blancos doctor revealed in 2020 that the Welsh icon is the best athlete he's ever seen ahead of Ronaldo. He said (via The Mirror):

"Perhaps the best athlete I've ever seen is Bale. Gareth Bale is a natural athlete who can excel in practically any sport. He has incredible athletic skills, and I would also say technical skills. He is the one who impressed me most in all aspects."

Manchester United are currently sixth in the Premier League table and will next face West Ham United at Old Trafford today (October 30).