Shopping Spree: Spending Ronaldo's £80 Million Wisely

In the past 48 hours, the footballing world has been abuzz with the revelation of Real Madrid's stunning £80 million bid for Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo.  Coming, as it does, fresh on the heels of their record-setting purchase of former AC Milan star Kaka, the impending purchase of Ronaldo signals a tremendous statement of intent by Real and new chairman Florentino Perez, and for Ronaldo himself it represents the realization of a lifelong dream.

There is little doubt that Ronaldo's prodigious talents will serve his new team well, but filling the void left by his departure will represent the greatest of several challenges for a Red Devils squad with plenty of lingering question marks—especially with speculation that Carlos Tevez and Nemanja Vidić could be on their respective ways out of Old Trafford.

If Man U hopes to secure a fourth straight EPL title, Sir Alex Ferguson must swiftly and shrewdly re-invest the funds from Ronaldo's transfer into tangible improvements for his squad.

Man U is a team that, despite their recent success, seems to be trending down.  While they did enough to secure a third consecutive EPL crown, the closing months of the season saw them pushed to the wire by Wigan, Sunderland, and Arsenal.  

Losses against Liverpool, Fulham, and Barcelona were further evidence of serious cracks in the façade.  Too many of their players are either on the wrong side of their glory days or have failed to live up to expectations, and SAF must spend his (admittedly hefty) transfer budget wisely in order to properly address his team’s needs. Here are a few pearls of unsolicited wisdom on how best to do that:

Goals, Goals, Goals

There are only a few players in the world who could single-handedly replace Ronaldo's combination of pace, skill on and off-the-ball, and scoring ability.  Since none are likely to be available to Man U, the club will have to rely on several players to take his place.  The most obvious (if not the most pressing) issue for Man U to address is the immediate dearth of goals created by Ronaldo's absence. 

Since Ruud Van Nistelrooy left in the summer of 2006, Man U has lacked a dyed in the wool goalscorer.  In each subsequent season, Ronaldo has led the team in scoring, contributing no fewer than 17 goals each year. 

Contrast that with ostensible striker Wayne Rooney, who has chipped in between 12 and 14 goals per season, or with Carlos Tevez who followed up his 14 tallies in '07-'08 with a measly five in '08-'09.  Rooney may step up in Ronaldo's absence, but with no more than 16 goals in a season at Man U, he cannot be relied upon to do so.

Last season's £35 Million acquisition of Dimitar Berbatov was supposed to resolve the team's lack of a go-to striker, but the Bulgarian hitman's nine goal haul from last season will do little to instill confidence in the fans or the manager.  It should come as no surprise then that the rumor-mill has frequently seen Lyon starlet Karim Benzema mentioned as a possible target for SAF.

The young Frenchman has certainly developed a knack for scoring in Ligue 1, where he has shown frequent flashes of brilliance.  His strike rate for France is less encouraging with six goals in 24 games, four of which have come against the likes of Tunisia, Austria, and the Faroe Islands.  Still, he is a budding talent, and at only 21 years old he has plenty of time to grow into the world-beater that many scouts believe he could become.

Still, better options might be the more proven talents of Samuel Eto'o or David Villa, both of whom are likely available, have pace to burn, and have proven their ability to score consistently at the highest levels of domestic and international football.

Spread 'Em Wide

While Ryan Giggs stunned many in winning the 2009 PFA Player of the Year award despite starting just 12 EPL games, the award was obviously given in recognition of a career's worth of loyal and distinguished service rather than his often middling performances in '09. 

Giggs' time as a starting winger is behind him, and with Zoran Tošić unproven and Nani yet to demonstrate that he can do much more than run headlong into defenders and take wild pot-shots from 30 yards, the need for width is paramount.

Already, word has spread that the spending spree is underway, with Wigan Chairman Dave Whelan confirming that Man U have lodged a bid for Ecuadorian winger Antonio Valencia. While Valencia is talented with the ball at his feet, he lacks the pace and unpredictability that made Ronaldo such a consistent threat.

Statistically, Valencia has been unspectacular, contributing three goals and four assists in his most productive season at Wigan.  With his price likely to hover around £15 Million, Man U may do well to look at other options.

Despite Frank Ribéry supposedly topping Man U's list of potential Ronaldo replacements, it looks less likely by the day that he will be one of those other options.  The French trickster is the star of a Bayern team with much to prove after Jürgen Klinsmann's disastrous tenure left them trophyless in '09.  Bayern GM Uli Hoeness has made it clear that Ribery will cost a pretty penny, and numbers in the range of £60 Million have been bandied about.

As an alternative to these players, Man U might do well to look at Valencia's David Silva.  A gifted winger who can occasionally chip in goals, Silva will likely be available at a knock-down price (relatively speaking) given Valencia's financial woes, and would leave plenty of funds to be distributed elsewhere.

True Grit

Midfield depth must be another point of focus.  With Paul Scholes well past his prime, Carrick, Fletcher, and Anderson are relied on to carry the load.  Fletcher may have had an excellent ’08-’09 campaign, but those who have followed his career will be inclined to suspect that he was playing above his ability, and while Carrick is an excellent passer of the ball, he needs to be paired with someone who can consistently win tackles.

Anderson’s slow decline into anonymity has seen him converted from a promising attacker into an utterly ineffectual defensive mid, and Hargreaves’ permanent presence on the fixture table means that Ferguson needs to prioritize finding a midfield destroyer who can mop up in front of the defense.  Barcelona's domination of possession in the CL Final was proof enough of this.

Liverpool have wisely stated their intent to hang on to Javier Mascherano, but Man U could benefit greatly from the tackling ability, bravery, and work ethic of such a player.  The Red Devils are losing their primary source of intimidation with Ronaldo's departure; adding a gritty, hard-tackling defensive mid will help replace some of it, and every ball won in the midfield will energize the rest of the team.

Depth, With a D

The defense itself is the strongest aspect of Man U’s squad, provided that Vidić stays put.  If, however, whispers of his family’s unhappiness in Manchester are true, and if Barcelona table their rumored £25 million offer for his services, it will be a lot to ask of youngster Jonny Evans to fill his boots. 

Additionally, while the giant Serb is the best defender in the Premiership on his day, his inability to cope with speedy attackers is a tremendous liability against top-four opposition, and his occasional lapses of concentration tend to cost the club dearly.  A new recruit in the center of defense (and, possibly, a new right back to replace the aging Neville) could be extremely beneficial in relieving Vidić if he stays, or replacing him if he goes.

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Ferguson has ample funds with which to rebuild his squad, provided he spends shrewdly and looks further than simply replacing Ronaldo's offense.  While SAF's record in the transfer market is spotty (Veron, Anderson, Forlan, and Hargreaves spring instantly to mind), his successes on and off the field mean that few would bet against the wily Scot at this point.  Regardless, one thing is for sure—it’s shaping up to be a very interesting summer for the red half of Manchester.