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Not for the first time, Cristiano Ronaldo has been linked this morning with a sensational and undoubtedly costly return to Manchester United, with all the major UK media outlets picking up on Spanish Journalist Guillem Balague’s frankly balls-out claim that, “I have a pretty good idea of when he wants to go… he wants to go back to Manchester United and everything is in place for him to return to Old Trafford.” Ronaldo expressed his love for United and his possible return a couple weeks ago in an interview at a TAG Heuer event.
Now, typically The18 takes these rumors with an unhealthily large dose of salt, but there’s a growing momentum behind the Ronaldo to United band-wagon, with Balague’s musings merely the tip of an ever-freezing iceberg. It appears as though the Portuguese and the Red Devils have found themselves at the centre of a confluence of events that, like a poorly written bonk-buster, revolve around love, money and power.
Love
That Ronaldo has a soft-spot for his former club is undeniable: the sheer volume of quotes from the man protesting his love for United, the fans and Ferguson makes Elizabeth Taylor seem prudish and cold by comparison. Yes, some were deployed with the express intention of adding a zero or two to his Real Madrid salary, but it would be wrong to discount such a consistent outpouring of affection purely as calculated dollar-chasing. Ronaldo’s love for United is real enough; a fact that has continually teased both the press and United into believing a reunion is possible. Does that alone mean he’ll return? Of course not, but it’s the first strand of the Ronaldo-to-United trifecta.
Cristiano Ronaldo's love for Sir Alex Ferguson and the United fan base has been documented several times. (Photo:@futbolperucom | Twitter)
Money
You may have recently noticed that Manchester United have rather a large surplus of treasure squirrelled away and, like Mel Gibson in a liquor store, they’re ready to spend, spend, spend. When you flash the cash like United have, it leads to two things in particular: journalists link you with the most expensive and exciting players in the world and, if they haven’t already, agents tell journalists to link you with their most expensive and exciting players in the world: It’s cause and effect.
As The18 noted elsewhere, Edward Woodward has dramatically shifted United’s transfer focus away from promising youngsters towards targeting the world’s biggest, most marketable players, and no player is bigger or more marketable than CR7. What better way to shout loudly and proudly “United’s Back!” than bringing Cristiano home to Old Trafford?
It doesn’t require the inquisitive brain of a Pulitzer Prize winner to piece together Ronaldo’s stated love for United and Woodward’s demonstrated love of money to come up with a transfer story, but there’s another strand to this tale - one which muddies the waters somewhat.
According to Daily Mail, Ronaldo could want up to £500,000 a-week if he leaves Real Madrid next summer. (@Mailsport | Twitter)
Power
An Iberian power struggle is playing out in Southern Europe, and Cristiano Ronaldo is at its heart. To the north sits Florentino Perez, President of Real Madrid and, in his mind at least, master of all that occurs within the Santiago Bernabeu. To the south struts super-agent, string-puller and deal broker Jorge Mendes: king of the transfer market and confidante to the football world’s most dazzling stars, with Ronaldo the jewel in his crown.
Florentino and Jorge have had a strained summer. While Mendes managed to hoist James Rodriguez onto Real’s books for a princely sum, it was the handling of two of his other clients that has caused quite the to-do. Firstly, Mendes was unhappy with the shoddy treatment meted out to Angel Di Maria: despite racking up the highest number of assists in La Liga last season, Di Maria was relatively under-paid at Real and deemed surplus to requirements, leading to his transfer to United.
Secondly, and perhaps more damaging to the relationship, was the Falcao situation. All and sundry expected Falcao to sign for Real before the close of the transfer window, including the player himself. Perez, however, refused to play ball: “If I’d brought Radamel Falcao, we might as well make Jorge Mendes president of Real Madrid.”
Ever since that deadline day drama, we’ve been treated to a steady stream of comments and rumblings about Ronaldo’s unhappiness at Madrid, his displeasure at the sale of the likes of Di Maria and Xabi Alonso and, yes, his continued love of United. Coincidence? Is the Pope an Orthodox Jew? Fans are even getting involved posting photoshopped pictures of Ronaldo watching Manchester United games to social media to get more of a buzz going.
A photoshopped picture of Ronaldo watching United's game this past weekend has been catching fire on social media this week. (Photo:@Footballstuff | Twitter)
Herein lies the paradox of Ronaldo to United: On a number of levels it makes perfect sense, but there is undoubtedly an under-current of Machiavellianism at work: Jorge Mendes is gunning for Florentino Perez, and Ronaldo is his super-weapon. Within that context, one must view all that’s playing out with a degree of cynicism. After all, last summer United pushed very, very hard (and none harder than Rio Ferdinand) to bring Ronaldo “back home”, and what was the result? He signed a new, $120M, five-year contract with Real Madrid. Plus ça change - the more things change, the more they stay the same.
