Monday 5 August 2013

The Future Of Cristiano Ronaldo


There are a couple of Manchester United supporters who I know personally that may not like or agree with this piece that I am about to write, but as it stands, I do not believe that Cristiano Ronaldo will be returning to Old Trafford to play for the Red Devils this season.

While he may not be getting the same kind of attention that Gareth Bale, Wayne Rooney and Luis Suarez are on a daily basis, Ronaldo is still the subject of many discussions and there is a strong belief that he won’t be a Real Madrid player for much longer. But the real question is what do you believe? Reports in Spain say he could be about to sign a new contract with Madrid that will effectively keep him at the club for the rest of his career, but during a recent press conference, Ronaldo basically stated that while he was happy at Madrid for the time being, he did not know what lies in store for his long-term future. Supporters and experts all across the globe have all had their say, and now it is my turn.

I can’t see Ronaldo leaving Madrid this season for any price, sure like every player in Spain, Ronaldo has a release clause in his contract, but that is reportedly around £800 million. New manager at the Bernabeu Carlo Ancelotti has made it pretty obvious that Ronaldo will once again be key to any success Madrid have this season and his inclusion in the club’s pre-season preparations so far don’t seem to suggest otherwise. When Ronaldo signed for the club back in 2009, everybody knew that he was joining his boyhood heroes, 4 years on, the man continues to be the clubs standout star and inspires young children all over the world to try and be the next Real Madrid legend, so what concrete evidence is out there to suggest that he would want to give all of that up now? I’m certain that he wants more success at Madrid, particularly the Champions League trophy, which has evaded him during his time at the club so far. I could be wrong, but from what I have seen and read, this has been enough to make me think that Manchester United supporters will have to wait even longer for any potential return of one of their greatest Number 7’s.

However, until there is any truth to these rumours about the Portuguese winger agreeing a new contract with Madrid, United faithful should not give up hope completely. There is still plenty of time for more developments in the transfer market, and anything can happen in football. If Ronaldo still hasn’t officially agreed to a new Madrid contract, and United end up selling Wayne Rooney for big money, the door then opens for them to break their own transfer record and try to bring the 28-year-old back to Old Trafford. I think it would definitely earn new manager David Moyes more “brownie points” with supporters that maybe still aren’t convinced that he is the right man for the job. Madrid will still likely take a firm approach with regards to transfer offers for Ronaldo and be quick to reject anything that comes in, but if history is anything to go by, keeping a potentially unhappy or unsettled player at your club can have negative effects both off and on the pitch.

I’d relish seeing Ronaldo playing in the Premier League again, but for now I just can’t see it happening. Right now clubs are rejecting big money offers for their players who do want to leave, so the chances of a club accepting a big offer for a player who isn’t as keen for a new challenge seem very slim right now. But, I guess all I can do right now is wait to see what happens next and end this piece with an old cliché. Never Say Never in Football.

Andrew.

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