Why Real Madrid should offer Ronaldo if Manchester United bid for Bale 23-Jan-2015 COMMENT: Manchester United are considering a massive bid for the former Tottenham star, but given his advancing years would Madrid be wiser offering Cristiano instead? By Carlo Garganese It is an open secret that Manchester United would love to sign Gareth Bale. The Premier League giants have pinpointed the Welsh wing wizard as the superstar to bring back the glory days to Old Trafford and would be willing to spend over €100 million to get their man. Bale currently has no interest in joining United, who attempted to buy him in 2013 prior to his world record move to Real Madrid. The winger is madly in love with the Blancos and is fulfilling his life-long dream in the Spanish capital. Despite recent criticism from fans, Madrid themselves are delighted with Bale’s form over the last 18 months – 35 goals in 71 games and four trophies acquired - and president Florentino Perez has no intention of selling the wideman. But this is unlikely to deter United, who are now the second richest club in the world following the publication of the 2015 Deloitte Money League. In 2013-14, United increased their revenue by a staggering €94.2 million from the previous season. Funded by a number of record-breaking commercial deals, it is only a matter of time until United overtake Madrid as the richest team on the planet. Money is no object to the club’s Chief Executive Ed Woodward, so if – or rather when – a blockbuster Bale bid is tabled, what should Madrid’s response be? Perez’s policy of signing an attacking superstar every summer means Borussia Dortmund’s Marco Reus is at the top of the presidential wish list for June. While the German has a release clause of €25m, Perez will once again have to sell a marketable player in order to make way for the new Galactico – just as Mesut Ozil and Angel Di Maria were offloaded in successive summers to create space for Bale and James Rodriguez. In purely footballing terms, if Madrid had to choose between selling Bale or Ronaldo to achieve this aim, it would make far more sense to sacrifice the latter. Granted, Ronaldo is undoubtedly the best footballer in the world right now having just collected a second successive Ballon d’Or and embarked on his best-ever start to a season statistically, with 28 La Liga goals from 17 games. But the Portuguese turns 30 in a fortnight. While Perez has told Ronaldo that his heroics since joining in 2009 entitles him to remain at the club for life, the passage of time draws closer his optimal selling point. Ronaldo may be the perfect professional and physical specimen – perhaps the greatest athlete the sport has ever seen when it comes to combining speed, strength and stamina. “Ronaldo has an amazing fitness level and an incredible capacity to keep on working to improve himself,” Carlo Ancelotti told France Football this week. But he is now in the age-range where he must start slowing down. Former Ballon d’Or winners such as Michel Platini, George Weah, Rivaldo and Andriy Shevchenko were all at the peak of their powers in their 30th year. They too looked like they could go on forever, but it wasn’t long before they abruptly lost their magical powers. Bale, on the other hand, is just 25 and is yet to hit his peak. He showed in Ronaldo’s absence in last year’s Copa del Rey final that he is more than capable of being Madrid’s leader and talisman – scoring a stunning winner against Barcelona – and proving decisive in a number of other big matches, including the finals of the Champions League and Club World Cup. He has shown what he is capable of in finals - the goal that won us the Copa del Rey was one that only special players can produce, team-mate Sergio Ramos told Goal. Gareth has proved he has the qualities to win the biggest games on his own. If Bale was worth €100m in 2013, his value can only increase over the next two or three years. Ronaldo’s can only decrease – so if Madrid wish to make anything substantial back on the €94m they paid Manchester United in 2009 then they will have to sell in the next 18 months. Of course, Ronaldo is a commercial behemoth and he has already paid back his transfer fee – selling an estimated €45m worth of shirts in his first season in Madrid alone. He brings in €21m a year in image rights – although less than 40 per cent goes to Madrid. But Bale is also an important marketing asset. Madrid make around €4m a year from his image rights and €2m on shirt sales. Along with Ronaldo, he has helped Madrid secure lucrative sponsorships and tours in the Far East and he boosts the club’s presence in English-speaking markets. Perez famously remarked after his arrival that Madrid would soon recoup the €100m they paid for the Welshman: Bale was cheap. Figo, Zidane, Ronaldo and Beckham gave us a huge revenue jump. If you invest in great players, you have more income.” As it happens, Real Madrid have no financial need to sell Ronaldo or Bale, having just been named the richest club on the planet for a 10th successive year. But based on football alone, the Brit will be more important to Madrid’s future than the Portuguese. This is particularly true from a tactical sense. Ancelotti faces the potential headache of trying to find a position for Reus. The German occupies the same left attacking role at Dortmund – albeit in a 4-2-3-1 formation rather than a 4-3-3 – that Ronaldo does at Madrid. While Reus is also flexible enough to switch to the right flank, his best position is on the left. Ancelotti has worked wonders in somehow fitting Ronaldo, Bale, James, Toni Kroos and Karim Benzema into the same line-up. Unlike James, though, Reus cannot drop into a deeper role and nor can he excel as a centre forward – meaning either Ronaldo or Bale would have to take Benzema’s striker slot to keep the three attacking Galacticos happy. So selling Ronaldo may not be the craziest move if Reus arrives. It remains a hypothetical proposal and one Perez is unlikely to sanction. But having been interested in re-signing their former hero before his contract renewal in 2013, United would certainly consider Ronaldo again if Madrid rebuff their interest in Bale by offering the Ballon d’Or winner instead. It could be win-win for both sides.
Posted on: Fri, 23 Jan 2015 16:01:42 +0000
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