OLIVER HOLT: It's hard to resist the aura and romance of the undoubted coup for Man United with Cristiano Ronaldo's dramatic return... but in football terms it feels like an admission of defeat in their search for a first league title in almost a decade

The re-signing of Cristiano Ronaldo by Manchester United is a magnificent coup.

Both emotionally and commercially, it is a masterstroke that reunites a forward who has been one of the greatest players in the history of football with a fan-base that has never forsaken him and always held him dear.

It was a victory over Manchester City, too. And United haven't had many of those recently.

United supporters — and supporters from all over the world — will take their kids to see him play at Old Trafford so that their kids can tell their grandkids they saw Ronaldo play.