Real Madrid Transfer News: Los Blancos Should Let Cristiano Ronaldo Leave

There has been a great deal reported lately about Cristiano Ronaldo's unrest at Real Madrid, a feeling no doubt exacerbated by Los Blancos' La Liga start, which has seen them lose twice in their opening three games.

The most recent comments have come from former Real president Ramon Calderon, who suspects the Portuguese star is not happy at the Bernabeu, per talkSport:

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My impression is he is fed up with the policy of the current president. When he came [to Real Madrid] with [Arjen] Robben he thought he would be a good colleague for him in the team [but then he was sold]. Two years ago it was [Gonzalo] Higuain sold and he didn’t like that. Last year he thought it was a mistake to let [Mesut] Ozil leave and the last straw was selling Xabi Alonso and Angel di Maria this summer.

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Indeed, it does seem that Ronaldo is unhappy with the transfer dealings of current president Florentino Perez, based on his recent comments, per ESPN's Dermot Corrigan:

He has also expressed a desire of late to return to Manchester United, the club he left for £80 million in 2009 to move to Real, per Bleacher Report UK:

Rumours are abounding that—while not imminent—a move back to Old Trafford may well be in the cards, per Spanish football expert Guillem Balague (via 101 Great Goals):

Ronaldo's unhappiness is, no doubt, a problem for Real considering he is their best player and arguably the best player on the planet.

But, if he is indeed unhappy with the overall setup at the club and its transfer dealings, and if he does want to leave, perhaps the Madrid outfit would be well advised to let him go.

That may seem like a ludicrous suggestion to make about a player who scored 17 goals in 11 games in a victorious Champions League campaign last term, per Joe Wright on Goal.com.

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He also bagged 31 La Liga goals in 30 appearances in 2013-14, per WhoScored.com, and is the current holder of the Ballon d'Or and the Best Player in Europe Award.

However, there is an argument to suggest that letting him go would not be the worst idea in the world. The first point concerns his fitness. 

Ronaldo is 29 years old, has recently struggled with injury and is likely past the full peak of his powers. Indeed, football writers Rik Sharma and Miguel Delaney believe he may drop off in form quite drastically:

Ronaldo's excellence is so intrinsically linked to his raw power and pace that were either of those attributes to fade, he would not be nearly the same player.

Furthermore, in Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez, Real have two younger players who could take up the mantle on his departure and perhaps improve from not being in his considerable shadow.

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Equally, if he is indeed to move back to United, Real would likely be able to recoup a large chunk of the £80 million they paid for Ronaldo—which he has more than paid back in performances.

The Red Devils shelled out over £150 million in the summer to strengthen their ailing squad, showing they are not afraid to splash the cash.

Another important factor to consider is Ronaldo's ambition. Having finally won the Champions League with Real last season, he may no longer have the drive of previous years at the Bernabeu.

It is what happened at United. After he won Europe's premier club competition with the Old Trafford outfit in 2008, he lost some of his drive until he eventually moved to Spain a year later.

If he is not completely driven to perform at Real, his form—and subsequently that of Madrid—will suffer.

Finally, there is the idea that his unrest may permeate the club and have a negative effect on the players around him.

He is clearly unhappy—particularly with the recent sales of Alonso and Di Maria—and if the situation cannot be dealt with, Real would do well to let him go.

It is a cliche, but no player is bigger than a club. If Ronaldo is questioning the way things are run at the Bernabeu and is causing trouble, he should be moved on, in much the same way Sir Alex Ferguson dispensed with David Beckham.

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Ronaldo is one of the most talented players of his generation—perhaps ever—and he has contributed to Real more than could ever have been expected of him.

However, Real are clearly building a new squad, Rodriguez and Toni Kroos having come in for previous stalwarts Alonso and Di Maria.

Perhaps it would be wise—politically, financially and with the future in mind— to let him move on if that is what he wishes.

He won't stay forever, and although he is still likely to make a huge contribution to the team, the club as a whole may have a better long-term future without him.