Sport360° view: Ronaldo sale may make Real sense

Andy West 11:04 01/10/2014
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  • Could be on his way out: Cristiano Ronaldo has long said he would welcome a return to Manchester United.

    On the face of it, the suggestion that Real Madrid might be better off selling Cristiano Ronaldo next summer is quite ludicrous. After all, the Portuguese star is the current Ballon d’Or holder, leads the La Liga scoring charts by four goals after just six games and is poised to overtake Madrid legend Raul as the Champions League’s all-time leading scorer.

    Why on earth would you even contemplate selling a player like that?

    Scratch beneath the surface, however, and it’s easy to envisage a scenario whereby it would be nothing but sensible for the Bernabeu club to accept a big-money offer, if one was forthcoming, at the end of the current campaign.

    The essential factor is Ronaldo’s physical health, which has been a cause for concern over the last six months. Due to a chronic knee problem, Ronaldo was forced to sit out a significant amount of action towards the end of last season – and when he did play, he was often a shadow of the demon who has terrorised the world’s defenders for the last five years.

    For example, he missed the Copa del Rey final victory over Barcelona altogether, made little impact in the Champions League final against Atletico (other than an injury time penalty), and struggled at the World Cup, scoring just once in three games.

    Throughout that period, there were two conflicting versions over the state of Ronaldo’s knee: his club and the player himself insisted it was just a short-term issue which would soon be overcome, while other ‘insiders’ claimed the effects of wear and tear have left him with a knee problem which will never truly go away and requires ongoing careful management.

    Which of those two versions of the story is the truth remains to be seen, but Ronaldo was certainly not himself throughout much of 2014, only really getting back to his best in the last couple of weeks.

    If the optimistic camp is right and there is no long-term damage to his knee, it would indeed be almost unthinkable for Real to sell him. But there also has to be a significant danger that the injury will recur at some stage between now and May, forcing Los Blancos to confront the prospect of holding onto a 30-year-old with physical problems who commands the club’s highest salary.

    In that situation they would and should consider allowing him to leave.

    The team’s future, after all, appears to be in very safe hands, with the magnificent attacking quartet of Gareth Bale, James Rodriguez, Jese Rodriguez and Isco all in their early 20s (Bale is the eldest at 25) and capable of leading the team to glory for many years to come – if Ronaldo stays, at least one of them will probably have to leave.

    In particular, Jese could prove to be the wild card. The young Spaniard is a versatile, fast, powerful and ambitious forward who has a nose for goal and can play anywhere across the front line…sound familiar?

    The 21-year-old was magnificent last season before suffering a cruciate knee ligament injury, and if he returns at full strength he has every chance of becoming Ronaldo’s long-term replacement.

    The next few months, therefore, will be crucial in determining whether Manchester United fans can fulfil their dream of seeing Ronaldo “come home” to Old Trafford.

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