Do Manchester United need Cristiano Ronaldo?

The greatest pure goalscorer the modern game has seen is back in English football but his real impact may come off the pitch, rather than on it, in his second spell at Old Trafford

Cristiano Ronaldo has returned to Manchester United (PA Wire)

It is one of the better problems to have as a football manager - how do you fit Cristiano Ronaldo into your team?

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is back at Manchester United, after a brief flirtation with rivals Manchester City, and will have designs on returning the side to the former glories he enjoyed during his previous six seasons with the club.

It won't be easy with the likes of City, Liverpool and Chelsea all appearing primed for a sustained tilt at the Premier League title this season after strong starts and others, like early table-toppers Tottenham, perhaps better than previously advertised.

What is also true though is that he is joining a United side that - at long last - look ready themselves to really challenge again. Unbeaten with two wins and a draw from their opening three games of the season other headline summer signings Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane are now bedding in.

Mason Greenwood, the match-winner at Wolves on Sunday, has scored in all three matches so far, the first teenager to do so in England's top flight since Robbie Fowler.

With only two goals conceded the defence looks a more miserly and battle-tested unit too while ahead of them assist-leader Paul Pogba appears back to his very best in pulling the team's strings.

All of this has unfolded without Marcus Rashford at all and with the likes of Edinson Cavani and Donny van de Beek being held largely in reserve.

Is it sacrilegious then to ask whether United need Ronaldo at all?

He certainly wasn't on the club's radar at the start of the summer with moves for Sancho and Varane a priority. A deep-lying central midfielder to knit the two halves of his team together is what Solskjaer's craves and still does with West Ham's Declan Rice the top choice.

Indeed, goals, Ronaldo's prime currency, were never this team's problem - they were second top-scorers in the league a year ago - rather the creating of them consistently was, an issue this latter-era version of Ronaldo is unlikely to fix.

There are questions too of Ronaldo's other qualities at this point in his career and whether you can play truly modern football with pressing and counter-pressing and alike with a 36-year-old penalty-box predator up front.

What there aren't questions about, however, are whether he will play.

"He is not signing to sit on the bench," Solskjaer said. "He is going to make us a better team. We need to get all the paperwork done, hopefully we can get that sorted and we can announce it 100 per cent.

"Then he is away with Portugal, they have three games, his last game is Tuesday (7 September) and then we can get him back to Manchester and be involved as soon as possible."

Manchester United have started the season strongly (Getty Images)

Perhaps then it is off the pitch rather than on it where Ronaldo can make the most difference. Not in a commercial or social media sense, although the Instagram post announcing his arrival has already broken countless records, but in the dressing room and on the training pitch.

Ronaldo's work ethic has always been the stuff of legend and his relentless pursuit of self-improvement continues to set the standard. Even as his superpowers elsewhere perhaps begin to wane, his dedication and professionalism remain unmatched.

Roy Keane, who was United captain when the club first signed Ronaldo in 2003, knows what his former teammate can bring to this current side.

"I think it's great news for United, the fans and the Premier League," Keane said. "There's no doubt in my mind he's still a world-class player - the hunger and the desire is still there.

"He's a clever guy and he's only coming back to Man United to win stuff. He'll bring a winning mentality to the dressing room."

Graeme Souness, a serial-winner himself during his playing days, agrees.

"I see him making the difference for them," he added. "I think there's two, three or four players in Man United's dressing room that need him. Only him or (Lionel) Messi coming into the dressing room would make them up their game.

"Some players in that dressing room feel they've arrived, they're the real deal and no-one can tell them anything. But they will improve with Ronaldo there. You've got no chance unless you sign senior pros and Man United have just signed the ultimate.

"Training will be different and players' attitude will be different. I see United challenging for the championship with him in the team because they had 11 draws last season. They won't have them now because he's on another planet."

"He's a winner," Solskjaer added. "He's a great human being and the players are excited to see him, of course. And I'm excited to keep building this squad and he adds something completely different.

"He's a different player to when he was here last time. He's evolved and had an unbelievable career. I'm sure he likes all the talk about 'He's too old' because... make it personal and he'll show what he can do."

The faith from his manager is there. It'll soon be time for Ronaldo to deliver on it.