The European media is waiting with baited breath for Cristiano Ronaldo’s announcement after the Euro’s 2008 whether he is returning to Manchester United or leaving for Real Madrid.
For arguments sake lets assume that the world’s best player wants to leave and the figure of 100 million pounds is the transfer fee. With all of its debt I don’t think that Man Utd’s bankers would allow them to turn down this kind of offer. The ability to pay down almost 10% of the teams debt in one fell swoop, and will greatly reduce the debt load of the club and make refinancing the existing debt easier. The Glazers would be forced to accept this offer.
If Real Madrid is willing to pay more than double the highest transfer fee in history why not sell? For 100 million, Sir Alex could probably buy both Messi and Kaka. If United replaced Ronaldo with either Messi or Kaka for 50 million pounds(and put 50 million towards paying down the debt), they would immediately be favored to win the Premiership and Champions League again next year.
What will make selling Ronaldo working for United is the amount and how they replace him. Kaka or Messi would both fit into United’s attacking style of play and they would both compliment Rooney and Tevaz. Life after Ronaldo would not be too bad for United fans of they replace him with another word footballer of the year.
comments (10) write a comment »
write a new comment
4 months ago
if he wants to leave then he shouldnt have signed a contract extension...he's not going anywhere
4 months ago
I doubt whether Man U could land either Kaka or Messi (and how he would fit playing a more midfield role that he did with Barçca). But I think you are right in them not being able to turn down the 100 million. Nice article.
4 months ago
I don't understand how is Ronaldo is worth Messi and Kaka COMBINED, as the author seems to suggest. Please explain? If United that is in debt are only willing to sell Ronaldo at 100 m pounds, Barca and Milan (Barca's debt is about 26 m euros) won't sell Messi and Kaka will not sell them at 50 m pounds. As a fact of fact Barca recently knocked back Chelsea's 80 m pound offer for Messi
4 months ago
Sorry but this article is fantasy stuff. Firstly, even if Ronaldo does go this summer, the fee will be nowhere near £100m, £40-50m is far more likely (not that I think he will leave just yet anyway).
Secondly, neither Messi nor Kaka would go to Man Utd, they are already at as big/bigger clubs in Barcelona and AC Milan, and the best South American players just do not favour the Premier League over Italy and Spain.
Our clubs have been buying up the best foreign talent for the last decade, or trying to, but how many top class South American players have come here in that time? hardly any, and certainly not from other massive clubs like Barcelona and AC Milan.
Whey they have joined our top clubs, it has been from smaller clubs, ie Veron from Lazio, Tevez from Corinthians etc etc. The only chance of the likes of Kaka or Messi coming to England is if they do so at the end of their career, not when they are at their peak, because they favour Spain and Italy, and there is little sign of that changing.
from 4 months ago
I agreed with the general idea you are getting across but there is a flaw in your analysis.
You are generalising too much about South America. You lack a little local knowledge.
Fact is Argentinians feel comfortable in England. They`ve been going there since shortly after 78 to
clubs like Tottenham etc.
For the right price Messi would go.
Kaka won`t leave Milan other than for a truck load of money and to Spain or some other Latin country.
Kaka won`t even retire in England. He would choose a high paying weak league like Japan, Middle East, US or even Australia.
If he`s wealthy enough he`d want to finish at his real club Sao Paulo.
from 4 months ago
I disagree about Argentinians S. Some Argentinians come to England, yes, but the best (and the vast majority of) Argentinians almost always choose Spain or Italy over England, or even France over England in fact.
This has changed a little over recent years with Veron, Mascherano, Crespo, Tevez, Heinze all playing here, but still the vast majority of the national squad will not play in England at any time.
Villa and Ardiles were one-off's, they played here in the late 70's early 1980's, but how many quality Argentinians followed them after that? Hardly any is the answer. The 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006 world cup squads featured a grand total of 3 players based in England at the time of the tournaments. That's 134 players, and 3 playing in England. Hardly suggests a stream of comfort from Argentinians does it?
1986 Squad: 15 Argentinian based, 3 Italian based, 2 Spanish based, 1 French based, 1 Mexican based
1990 Squad: 9 Argentinian based, 6 Italian based, 2 Spanish based, 2 French based, 1 German based, 1 Colombian based, 1 Mexican based
1994 Squad: 11 Argentinian based, 5 Italian based, 3 Spanish based, 1 German based, 1 Japanese based, 1 Paraguayan based
1998 Squad: 11 Italian based, 6 Argentinian based, 4 Spanish based, 1 Swiss based
2002 Squad: 8 Italian based, 7 Spanish based, 2 French based, 2 Argentinian based, 1 English based, 1 Brazillian based, 1 Scottish based, 1 German based
2006 Squad: 11 Spanish based, 4 Italian based, 3 Argentinian based, 2 Brazillian based, 2 English based, 1 Portuguese based
So over a 20 year period of 6 world cups, 46 Argentinian based, 37 Italian based, 29 Spanish based, 5 French based, 3 each Brazil, Germany, England, 2 Mexican based, 1 each Japan, Scotland, Colombia, Paraguay, Portugal, Colombia.
That enough 'local knowledge' for you?
4 months ago
kaka and messi are completely different players to ronaldo. even if ronaldo was to leave, which i doubt he will, they would not replace the part ronaldo plays in man utds counter attack style. thats not to say that messi and kaka wouldnt be fantastic at united. but messi and kaka are perfect for their teams game plans, as is ronaldo for his. barcelona, milan and man u have built their styles around the strengths of their stars. kaka and messi fit into to arsenal's style of play better, playing the role of a fabregas/hleb. If united wanted to directly replace ronaldo, they would require a lightning quick dribbler, not a common commodity in world football. babel, a.valencia, swp, malouda (albeit he's been terrible at chelsea) ja reyes and to some extent jesus navas spring to mind. even lukas podolski could potentially play a similar role to ronaldo.
4 months ago
He`s not the world`s best.
He`ll suffer great embarrassment and lowered esteem in Spain if he goes.
Euro cup alone should serve as a cold bucket of water for him and he`ll run back to EPL with his tail between his legs ready to take on the three other clubs worth mentioning and all the other patzers.
4 months ago
RONALDO IS THE KING AND HE IS THE BEST PLAYER OF THE WORLD NO MATTER WHAT
4 months ago
I think that if ronaldo decides to go it will show a huge amount of dis-respect to manchester united football club and everyone involved. It would have been easy for united and united fans to turn their back on him after what happened in the world cup yet they stuck by him and supported him.
He would leave manchester united as the worlds best player and arrive at real madrid as someone who is only interested in the cash, if he goes to madrid I will enjoy watchhing him struggle to hit top form because he will go backwards if he goes there you only have to ask david beckham.
United will move on though when beckham left they replaced him with a better player, if ronaldo decides to go then united will simply move on, although i think ferguson will leave ronaldo sitting in the stands next season and then sell him rather than sell him this summer.
write a new comment