To many, it is not a surprise that Cristiano Ronaldo is moving to Real Madrid. But to most, the surprising thing is the amount of money that Madrid are ready to pay. I certainly do not think that any player on this planet is worth £80 million. It is a ludicrous sum of money. To think that a player could be worth 80% of what Newcastle United are worth is simply indigestible.
The question however is, have United done the right thing?
Ronaldo has been United's best player for the past couple of seasons, netting in 68 goals in all competitions. It is a fantastic record for anybody, let alone a wide player. United will surely miss his presence in the team. Ronaldo is probably the most complete attacking player today. He has pace, strength, flair, trickery, is good in the air, and most importantly, can score from anywhere in the park.
Why have United accepted Madrid's offer then?
It is not just the amount of money that Madrid have offered to United. It is the player's attitude as well. Sir Alex Ferguson saw that the player clearly wanted to leave and did not enjoy playing for United anymore. When you do not have the desire or the passion to play for United, Fergie will, and quite rightly so, show you the door. This last season, Ronaldo was a shadow of the player he was the season before, even though he scored an incredible 26 goals. He really did look like a player who was always biding his time and waiting for the season to end so he could cash in on the bounties promised to him in the Spanish capitol.
So, the question is, who can replace Ronaldo?
Ronaldo is almost irreplaceable. What United can do is, spend the £80 million that they get from Madrid and buy 2-3 world class players. One of the only two players that can match Ronaldo's caliber is Messi, but he is clearly unavailable, while the other player, Kaka, has already signed for the club Ronaldo is headed for.
United have been, for the past year or so, linked with players like Franck Ribery of Bayern Munich, Luis Antonio Valencia of Wigan, and Karim Benzema of Lyon. Ribery, though, has stated that he is not interested in a move to England. While United have expressed interest for Valencia (as claimed by Wigan Chairman Dave Whelan) , I do not think the player can improve United in any way. That leaves only the latter, and I think he can be an excellent addition to the Man United squad. Benzema is young, pacey and can finish. United do need someone who can score goals, especially since they will greatly miss the goals Ronaldo would have scored for them. Lyon are likely to demand at least £30 million for their prized asset, especially after seeing what Madrid have offered for Ronaldo. Fergie has been interested in the young French forward for quite a while now, and with Carlos Tevez seemingly on his way out, this looks like a likely option. Even though United now have the cash to buy Tevez for £25 million, Fergie is unlikely to pay what he feels is over the odds for the Argentine master.
Another player whose name crops up is that of David Silva of Valencia. Silva is a very skillful and creative player and can definitely solve United's wing problems. United currently have four natural wingers in their squad, with none of them being very useful. Giggs (who has been converted into a central midfielder) and Tosic (who hasn't been given enough playing time) can hardly be blamed, however, it is Park (who was probably United's worst player in the Champions League final, apart from Anderson) and Nani (who has been pretty poor of late) that cause the headache. And, while the cash-strapped club from Spain is looking for money, any deal with Silva is unlikely to happen in the near future. This is because Silva's international and club team-mate David Villa's future is pretty uncertain. Valencia have stated that they will sell Villa should a right offer arrive, but are not ready to do a deal with Silva, while Villa's future hangs in the balance. However, this is likely to change if United decide to bid upwards of £20 million for the Spanish wingman.
If Fergie is able to mastermind signings like these, it will certainly reduce the pain and worry felt by Man United fans and will somewhat make up for Ronaldo's loss.
Having made a profit of nearly £68 million on a player signed 6 years ago, this certainly represents good business for Britain's biggest football club.
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