It must be quite good fun to be a famous player during the transfer window. If you’re bored and in need of entertainment, all you have to do is…
It must be quite good fun to be a famous player during the transfer window. If you’re bored and in need of entertainment, all you have to do is compose a tweet and the football world goes mad.
Suddenly odds are “slashed,” your club is “rocked” and news tickers are dominated by the contents of your 140-character message.
Perhaps this is what happened on Thursday when Cristiano Ronaldo tweeted about his contract situation at Real Madrid:
Ronaldo has been linked with a move back to Manchester United, where he played from 2003 to 2009. And the will-he, won’t-he thread promises to run for some time.
In May, , and of the Daily Mail reported that United were close to securing Ronaldo’s return
However, last week, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez rubbished the idea, claiming on Spanish radio show El Primer Toque (via ESPN.co.uk) that CR7 had no intention of leaving the La Liga side.
Cue a tweet from the man himself, and Nick Lustig and James Dickenson of the Express’ report, among many others, that Manchester United are again hopeful of getting their man.
Whether we’ll see Ronaldo back at United remains to be seen, but it’s guaranteed that there will be a lot more column inches devoted to his future in coming weeks.
Whether you adore or abhor the Portuguese international, it has to be agreed that he is one of the best players in modern-day football.
He, too, is one of the most outstanding talents to ever appear in the Premier League.
Let’s take a moment then, to assess just what his return would mean to Manchester United, were they able to wrap up a deal with the winger.
Viva Ronaldo
Ronaldo’s return would mean the world to Manchester United supporters. His name is still chanted by the club’s fans; he is still adored.
His first appearance back at Old Trafford with Real Madrid in the 2012/13 Champions League showed how highly CR7 is still regarded in Manchester—the player received a standing ovation upon returning to his former home. Howard Nurse describes the atmosphere that night in this article on the BBC Football website.
It’s hard to believe that Ronaldo is not as universally loved at Real Madrid, where he has scored 201 goals in all competitions since signing for the club in 2009.
Ronaldo’s return would make for a fantasy lineup at Old Trafford, with Robin van Persie spearheading the attack, ShinjiKagawa playing in the hole and Ronaldo back to his old ways of switching from left to right.
For United fans, it would be the ultimate addition to the team’s forward line.
Trophies
Ronaldo has achieved some impressive personal milestones with Real Madrid. In the last three seasons he has scored 34 (2012/13), 46 (2011/12) and 40 (2010/11) La Liga goals.
In his last three years at United, he notched 18 (2008/09), 31 (2007/08) and 17 (2006/07) top-flight goals.
But Ronaldo has won more honours with the English side than he has in Spain. In six years at Old Trafford, he won nine trophies, including three Premier Leagues and the 2007/08 Champions League.
With Madrid, Ronaldo has three pieces of silverware: the 2011/12 La Liga title, the Copadel Rey and the Spanish Super Cup.
Now at the peak of his game, Ronaldo could very well end up staying at the Bernabeu to press for more honours with Los Blancos.
He could also return to Old Trafford, where it seems impossible to imagine that he would not add to his trophy haul and put Manchester United back on the map in European competition.
A Coup for Moyes
Sir Alex Ferguson is a hard act to follow. If only United could find a tough Scot with a gaze penetrating enough to stop you in your tracks. Someone who commands respect from players and peers alike.
Looks like they found one in David Moyes. Admired for his work at Everton, only time will tell if he can have a Ferguson-esque career at Manchester United. If Moyes kicked off his Old Trafford employment by bringing Ronaldo back into the fold, it would be seen as a stroke of genius.
CR7’s admiration of “father figure” Ferguson is well-documented, as seen in this article by Mark Ogden of the Telegraph, and it would be interesting if Moyes could be the one to entice him back to the club.
Farewell to Rooney?
Ronnie and Rooney—a double act that terrorized Premier League defences.
They played a total of 140 games together—Ronaldo scoring 64 goals and Rooney registering 60. The pair had a win percentage of 68.57 and the side scored 277 goals during the period, according to stats from the Sun.
In light of Ronaldo’s recent strike rate, it would be a fearsome partnership if the two linked up again. But it’s unlikely to happen.
Rooney is on a reported £250,000 a week, as reported in the Mirror, and Ronaldo’s transfer fee is rumoured to be somewhere between £50 and £70 million.
United are reportedly trying to get help from their club sponsors to finance a deal for Ronaldo, according to this report on ESPN.co.uk.
If United are willing to splash the cash to secure Ronaldo’s services, someone is going to have to go, and the best guess is that it will be the want-away Rooney who departs.
Bale to the Bernabeu?
Real Madrid would only let Cristiano Ronaldo leave if they had suitable reinforcements.
The purchase of Neymar by La Liga champions Barcelona needs to be rivaled, and Real Madrid have been linked with several big names. Should the Bernabeu side receive £65 million or more for Ronaldo, it would be put straight back into player recruitment.
One player who Madrid desperately want, according to all manner of speculation—like this report from Antony Kastrinakis in the Sun—is Tottenham’s Gareth Bale.
It’s all hearsay until a deal is done, but this would be certain to create a slew of moves in the European leagues.
United Need Strength in Depth
Some may argue that United’s pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo is foolish, when the side has other key areas to address.
The squad is in need of a central midfielder and a central defender—the retirement of Paul Scholes and the aging partnership of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic calls for fresh, yet experienced recruits.
The sum of £50-70 million could be well spent on Ronaldo, but, perhaps, there are other more pressing issues to address.
There promises to be lots more to come in the case of Cristiano Ronaldo’s future. Keep checking back to B/R, where we will be keeping you up to date on all the latest transfer news.
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