Alan Shearer is predicting that Cristiano Ronaldo will score at least 20 Premier League goals for Manchester United this season.
The 36-year-old has already got off the mark in impressive fashion for the Red Devils since his move back to Old Trafford from Juventus in the summer transfer window.
Ronaldo has scored three goals in four Premier League games for Manchester United so far for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side and he will be hoping to add to that tally when the Red Devils travel to Leicester City after the international break.
Last season, Ronaldo – who has also netted twice in the Champions League this term – hit 29 Serie A goals for Juventus as the Italian side ended up fourth in the table and 13 points behind champions Inter Milan.
Former England star Shearer is convinced that Ronaldo will continue his remarkable scoring form this season for the Red Devils in the Premier League, as Solskjaer looks to guide his side to a genuine title challenge.
Speaking on BBC’s Match of the Day Top 10 podcast, Shearer said: “When you look at his career, and particularly his career at Man United, he started there, started very raw but unbelievable talent and you could see that from the beginning.
‘And where he’s got to… him and [Lionel] Messi have taken goal scoring to another level. It was ridiculous the number of goals these guys [have scored].”
Asked how many goals he thinks Ronaldo will score this season, the England legend replied: “I think I’m right in saying the last time he failed to score 20 or more league goals in a season was the season he left Manchester United in 2009.
“You’re pretty much guaranteed, I would say, 20 league goals.”
Solskjaer raised some eyebrows with his decision to start Ronaldo on the bench for Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Everton at the weekend.
The Portugal international came on as a substitute in the second half but the Red Devils were unable to find a winner as they dropped points for the second successive home game in the Premier League.
Asked to explain his team selection before the game, Solskjaer said: “Well Wednesday night [against Villarreal] was a big effort, big emotional and physical output. So we needed to freshen it up, we knew it’s an early kick off.
“The start of this game is going to be very important and we’ve got some very good players coming on as well so we believe it’s a team that is going to take charge of the game.”