"It would've been better for us if he had left earlier" - Chiellini makes bold claim about Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United switch

Juventus captain Giorgio Chiellini has delivered a bold verdict on Cristiano Ronaldo leaving Juventus for Manchester United this summer. The veteran defender feels the Serie A giants would have been better off if Cristiano Ronaldo had left them early on in the transfer window.

Chiellini stated that Cristiano Ronaldo's sudden departure left Juventus with little time to prepare for life without the Portuguese superstar. Despite bagging an initial fee of €15 million in exchange for letting Cristiano Ronaldo leave for Manchester United, Chiellini admits Juventus 'paid' for the transfer in terms of points.

In an interaction with DAZN Italia, Chiellini stated:

"Ronaldo left on August 28, it would have been better for us if he had left earlier. We paid something for it, a little bit of a shock, we paid something for it in terms of points. If he had left earlier we would have had time to prepare better.”

Chiellini also stressed how it was impossible to keep Cristiano Ronaldo in Turin after the five-time Ballon d'Or winner decided he wanted a new challenge. The Euro 2020 winner feels his former team-mate is now proving his worth at Manchester United.

“We had arrived at a point in our relationship where Cristiano needed new goals and a team that would play for him, because when he finds a team like that he is decisive. He is proving it in these months and he has also shown it with us.

“Here at Juventus, a programme of rejuvenation and restarting was born. If Ronaldo had stayed, he would have been an added value, but it is normal that he thought more about the present than the future."

After a catastrophic start to their season, Juventus are now slowly recovering under the astute guidance of Massimiliano Allegri. The Bianconeri have now won six straight games across all competitions. However, they are still languishing in seventh-place in the Serie A table.

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Cristiano Ronaldo seals late comeback win for Manchester United against Atalanta

Manchester United seemed destined for another demoralizing defeat on Wednesday after they went 2-0 down inside the first 30 minutes against Atalanta at Old Trafford. However, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men completed a remarkable comeback in the second half to climb to the summit of Group F in the Champions League.

Goals from Marcus Rashford and Harry Maguire restored parity for the Red Devils before Cristiano Ronaldo netted an 81st minute header to seal the win. Similarly, the Portuguese had scored a late winner for Manchester United against Villarreal in their previous Champions League outing as well.

With the winner against Atalanta, Cristiano Ronaldo took his tally for the season to six goals in eight appearances across competitions for Manchester United this term. The 36-year-old will now face his toughest test since returning to Old Trafford when the Red Devils face Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday.