Fergie must be cool over Ron's future
TEAMtalk's Ian Watson feels Manchester United already have a ready-made replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo if he joins Real Madrid this summer.
So Cristiano Ronaldo will reveal to Manchester United and the rest of the world where he believes his future lies within "two or three days".
Funny that. I thought he already had a year ago when he signed a five-year deal at Old Trafford?
Regardless, Real Madrid's less than subtle pursuit of the Portuguese star appears to have achieved its objective and turned the player's head.
Whilst it is not yet a dead cert, it seems likely that Ronaldo, having won everything there is to win in England, will come clean with his desire to swap Manchester for Madrid and achieve a life-long dream of wearing the white of Real. But if Sir Alex Ferguson has anything to do with it, judging by his recent comments, it might just as likely be the white of Leeds.
The United manager has already spoken out over the constant rumours and in particular, Real Madrid's shabby conduct - but the tone of his latest outburst, suggesting the Glazer family would be happy to see a "player sit in the stands just to prove a point" indicates he knows Ronaldo's heart is elsewhere.
In all honesty, would the Glazers allow Ronaldo to rot while picking up the tab for his huge wages? No. It makes no sense for any club to keep a player who no longer wants to play there and if Ronaldo states that is indeed the case, then a deal will inevitably happen. And to be fair, it just wouldn't be the summer nowadays without a United player packing his bags for Madrid.
But United hold all the aces. If Ronaldo wants to go so badly, he better hope Real reciprocate, because they are going to have to make some big sacrifices for his signature. Ramon Calderon, the Madrid president, has already suggested that the La Liga champions have the financial clout to do a deal with United, and Ferguson will no doubt push Calderon to see whether he has the cash to back up his bravado. Some say Ronaldo will become the world's first £100million player and while a deal, if it is struck, will not reach those dizzying heights, any transfer will not just break the current record fee of £46million, it will completely obliterate it.
What good though is a truck load of cash to United? Without getting into the intricacies of club-levied debts, the Premier League champions don't need the money. So what else have Real got that Ferguson wants?
One rumour doing the rounds last week involved a possible £40million cash deal plus three Real players; Robinho, Mahamadou Diarra and Sergio Ramos. Of the trio, Ramos is the most enticing but still, if the champions of Spain are happy to let them leave, why would they be good enough for the champions of Europe?
No, there is only one player United should demand as part of any deal - but Madrid will not like it.
Iker Casillas is one of the top two goalkeepers in the world, and within two years, will be the best on the planet. He came through the Real ranks and is seen as an icon at the Bernabeu. For all connected with Madrid, to see Casillas leave would be like watching a member of the family walk out the door. But Calderon comes accross as a bloke who would sell his own Grandma to get what he wants so an agreement could be reached. And if they want Ronaldo that badly, something or someone has got to give. Perhaps that someone is Casillas.
Edwin van der Sar has been a superb servant to United since his arrival from Fulham but despite his penalty heroics in Moscow he is no longer at the peak of his form or physical condition, not surprising given the Dutchman is pushing 38-years-old. Ben Foster, the apparent heir to van der Sar's throne is good, but not great. Casillas is 27 and has 10 years in front of him, frightening given keepers don't reach their peak until their thirties. For a decade, the last-line of United's defence would be in the safest of hands, no small matter when you look at how long it took and how many keepers fell by the wayside at Old Trafford before van der Sar came along.
Sixty-million pounds plus Iker Casillas, to me represents a good deal.
And what is to say United have to spend any of their income on finding a replacement for Ronaldo? It is generally accepted that the former Sporting Lisbon trainee is the best player in the world so the simple fact is he can't be replaced immediately. Not like for like. But could the man to fill Ronaldo's boots already be plying his trade at Old Trafford?
Nani is Ronaldo's junior by two years and he is essentially what the 42-goal man was three years ago - raw talent. He has shown he has the ability to beat his man in a similar way to his compatriot, has all the trickery but lacks an end product - but so did Ronaldo, now look at him.
They are so similar in fact in the way they play that it is hard to see both prospering in the same team. Ferguson obviously saw Nani as a longer term replacement when the inevitable happened and Ronaldo moved on. The only problem is the United boss did not forsee it happening quite so soon. But given that a large number of United fans had written off Ronaldo as a show pony only a couple of seasons ago, what is to say that given time, Nani cannot prosper in the same way his countryman has?
So with almost a ready-made replacement, United could go about blowing what cash they receive on strengthening other areas of their European Cup and Premier League-winning squad. A striker is apparently a priority for Ferguson and with the cash at his disposal, he could go out and pay what needs to be paid for Dimitar Berbatov or Karim Benzema, and still have plenty left over for whoever else he feels like splashing out on.
Yes, on the face of it, the Red Devils without Ronaldo are a weaker side. But if Ferguson plays the game correctly, the number seven's exit could actually be what takes Manchester United to the next level.