Spanish giants Real Madrid have seen their superstar Cristiano Ronaldo turn into a "goal machine" over recent years, but they need to start adapting to his new role as a striker, says Guillem Balague.
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Balague, who is a Spanish football expert, has admitted that he is very intrigued by Ronaldo's positional change on the field.
Asked whether he thought Ronaldo would end up playing out the rest of his career as a number nine, he answered:
"Yes, he's now become a new player," Balague said on his Revista show, on Sky Sports.
"He's moved his position 20 metres forward. Interestingly enough, Messi has dropped deep 20 metres and they're still both scoring the same goals, which I think tells you a lot about Messi.
"In any case, Cristiano Ronaldo is a goal machine and the team has to adapt to that.
"If you want a player who can give you 50 to 80 goals per season, you don't have to worry about No 9s, or you have to look for a No 9 like (Karim) Benzema. I think he's (Ronaldo) now a striker."
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Ronaldo has scored 56 goals in 53 appearances for club and country this season and has recently become the Champions League's all-time leading scorer.
Do you prefer seeing Ronaldo play as an out-and-out forward or as a winger? Have your say in the comments section below.
