Cristiano Ronaldo: The £80 Million Man

Manchester United has accepted an £80 million bid from Real Madrid for influential playmaker Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo’s future at United has been the subject of constant speculation, with Real having trailed his signature for the last three summers.

Real President Florentino Perez made no secret of the fact that he would like to bring Ronaldo to El Santiago Bernabeu. Ronaldo will head to the Spanish capital to hold discussions with Real and undergo a medical.

But is he really worth £80 million?

While I can honestly say that Cristiano Ronaldo is a talented and skillful footballer, he certainly is not worth £80 million. In fact the players currently plying their trade around the world for obscene amounts of money are not worth what they are getting paid whether it is Kaka, Messi, Rooney or Drogba.

We all know football is no longer a game, but a business and with that the players are no longer classed as individuals, they are assets. And in business you will always see companies paying over the odds for assets.

But in the current financial climate, where the ordinary punter is struggling to even live month to month, and on top of that figuring out a way to pay for their season ticket to watch their beloved team, such big money transfer fees and huge wages paid out is a slap in the face of ‘Joe Fan’.

While I may be classed as a dreamer by some, I still long for the day that we can all relate to the player on the pitch, who earns the same amount of money as the average punter on the street, and who actually plays for the jersey and not little more than a mercenary selling his body to the highest bidder.

Anyway back to the obscene amount of money for Ronaldo and if he is actually worth it. The £80 million transfer fee would make him as the most expensive player in football history.

So what have Real Madrid paid for then. Ronaldo has played a total of 323 games for both Manchester United & Sporting Lisbon, scoring a total of 123 goals in all competitions. For Portugal he has donned his national shirt 64 times and scored 22 goals.

But if Ronaldo is rated as an £80 million player then how much is Lionel Messi worth, as I rate him as the world’s best at the moment and not Ronaldo who has not done a lot this season with inconsistent performances and wee tantrums. While Ronaldo is stealing the limelight and successfully marketing himself, Lionel Messi just gets on with his job as a footballer and proves it on the pitch also.

Ronaldo Honours:

Manchester United

* Premier League: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
* FA Cup: 2003–04
* League Cup: 2005–06, 2008–09
* FA Community Shield: 2007
* UEFA Champions League: 2007–08
* FIFA Club World Cup: 2008

Individual

* UEFA Euro 2004 Team of the Tournament
* FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year: 2004–05, 2005–06
* Portuguese Footballer of the Year: 2006–07
* UEFA Team of the Year: 2003–2004, 2006–07, 2007-08
* FIFPro World XI: 2006–07, 2007–08
* PFA Young Player of the Year: 2006–07
* PFA Players’ Player of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08
* PFA Fans’ Player of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08
* PFA Premier League Team of the Year: 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
* FWA Footballer of the Year: 2006–07, 2007–08
* Barclays Player of the Season: 2006–07, 2007–08
* Barclays Player of the Month: November 2006, December 2006, January 2008, March 2008
* Barclays Golden Boot: 2007–08
* Barclays Merit Award: 2007–08
* European Golden Shoe: 2007–08
* UEFA Club Forward of the Year: 2007–08
* UEFA Club Footballer of the Year: 2007–08
* FIFPro World Player of the Year: 2007–08
* Ballon d’Or: 2008
* FIFA World Player of the Year: 2008
* FIFA Team of the Year: 2008

We would like to know what you think. Is Cristiano Ronaldo worth £80 million?

Is any player worth that amount of money? Just take into consideration Newcastle owner has put the club up for sale at a price tag of £100 million.

Is it great business for Manchester United or have Real Madrid got a bargain? We want your views.