The Inevitable Summer Transfer Market Topic

[Fudge]

Best profit ever. £67,000,000+ isn't a bad amount to make from a player.

[Matt]

Yeah but it's still left to be seen how much selling him is going to cost you.

[stokeriño]

1431 BST: Valencia have turned down a reported offer from Chelsea for David Villa, with the Spain international seemingly set to join Real Madrid instead, according to the player's agent. (Press Association)

This sort of thing is becoming tedious.

[Blue Rosler]

I love how always Man Utd fans have said "Ronaldo won't leave, he loves the club, Ferguson won't sell him." Alex Ferguson is sensible enough to know that no player equals a team. Not Jaap Stam, not David Beckham, not Van Nistelrooy. And definately that no player is "worth" 80 million. Although Real will get that back in profits, there's no way his current value is that.

Yeah, but Stam, RVN and Beckham were no where near the best players in the world at the time and all were well unto the wrong side of 25. Ronaldo is 24 and is the worlds best. I know it's 80 mil, buts it's a massive risk, something which those sales weren't

It's not about being the "best player in the world" or even in the World's Best. At the time when Ferguson sold those three players - they were key members of the team, with everyone saying "Man Utd will never survive without them!" Just like could you imagine Barcelona playing without Iniesta or Xavi - who are brilliant ... but are they in "the world's best"?

When Ronaldo plays for a different team, where is isn't put on as much of a pedestal as Man Utd, he'll fall from "the world's best players." Especially as the eyes will be on Kaka and Ronaldo ... I cannot see Ronaldo shining.

[Matt]

Stam, Beckham and RVN weren't single handedly winning you half of your games though. That being said, Rooney will probably step up next season when he isn't in Ronaldo's shadow.

[stokeriño]

Frankly, I'd wager that United will cope with the loss of Ronaldo a lot better than they coped with the loss of Stam.

It's not the individual talent/value of the player. It's how well-placed the rest of the squad is to cover their responsibilities - and United are not going to suddenly become shy of attacking prowess.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Never expected to wake up to that news.

To be honest, I'm highly pissed off. Couldn't care how much money we get, it's fucking Ronaldo and it seems the club have failed to realise how important he actually is to us. And to think they're throwing names around like Valencia and Ribery as replacements with the cash is a joke. We need to be buying someone pretty damn special to make up for this. If Tevez goes and Ronaldo is gone, are they expecting to rely on Rooney and Berbatov for the entire season? I rarely doubt Ferguson, but I do in this sale.

Just horrible news and I can only hope we bring in a world class player and not just somebody who is 'good'. Fuck Real Madrid as well and fuck this Perez guy, hopefully they still don't win shit

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

It's just Madrid doing what they did a while back with all their "Galacticos". It ended badly then and they changed their approach to "a team who can actually work together as a team as opposed to eleven star players who can't get it together".

They'll buy all the big names for the next few years, win a couple of things, underachieve and that'll be that.

However you CAN'T blame Ronaldo for wanting to go and play in a team with Kaka and probably Villa along with the rest that will be going there.

You can't blame Fergie for agreeing to taking the 80mil instead of chasing Ronaldo all summer in the hope that he'll re-sign for one more year...Maybe.

Now you have all summer to find a replacement or six.

[IAceI]

The Premiership's just got a little worse. Ronaldo, Kaka and Messi are all going to be plying their trade in Spain, at just two clubs? Insane.

As far as I'm concerned, I want to see the best players in the world in the Premiership. If I go to Sunderland vs. Man Utd next year, I'd have at least liked to see Ronaldo tear us apart while we booed the hell out of him. Shame. Yes, he's a total moron, he's a petulant little fucking child but still... he's one of, if not the very best in the world and I reckon the Premiership will miss his undoubtedly amazing football ability.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Anyway I guess this kinda thing hurts more for a United fan cos you think you're above having players WANTING to leave you these days...It's all on Man Utd's terms.

The rest of us know there's always someone who can wave a wad of cash and our best players will be leaving.

Guess what, it happens to the reds in Manchester too! WAHEY!

[METALMAN]

They should get Frank Ribery to replace him. Ribery's hardly a blockbuster star but he's a very good player and Man Utd still have a very good squad.

What I think they really need, assuming they get Ribery or some other winger to directly plug in Ronaldo's position, is a prolific striker and a Roy Keane hardman. Although given I don't like Man Utd I hope they fill these two gaps in the team by signing another Luis Saha and another Eric Djemba-Djemba.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Certainly wont blame Ronaldo. If he really wants to go there, I cant exactly knock the guy for that. And I wont be one of the ones now shitting on him, because I've loved everything he's done for United. I just cant imagine us without him. The brilliant partnership with Rooney is gone as well and without Ronaldo, it means even more pressure on Rooney, unless we really do bring in a top name player. I'm guessing we'll be linked again with Benzema in the next few days, as if he can actually replace Ronaldo.

Maybe I shouldn't make such a big deal about it, because our entire team doesn't evolve around Ronaldo and it's not the end of the world, but I really am going to miss the guy. Forget the diving part of the game or anything of a bad stuff, because when he was on his game, he was simply amazing. Gutted to see him leaving, certainly wont forget the guy. No doubt we'll more than likely meet Madrid in Europe next season as well

[Adam]

I know you're clearly emotional Jonny over this, but blaming Fergie and Utd for accepting this bid is silly. Nobody in their right mind would turn down an £80 million bid for ANYONE, especially when the player in question has asked the club himself to be allowed to go and speak to Madrid.

[Crybaby Bunting]

Sky Sports News said possibly the best thing about this entire situation.

By agreeing to sell their best player before signing a new player, every other team knows that Man United have a transfer kitty of AT LEAST £80 MILLION. It doesn't matter whether they do or not, it could well be that this 80million is going to be spread across several years... but to ANYONE in negotiations with Man United they can now charge the moon for players services.

A few weeks ago everyone was shitting their pants about Man United's finances, when the club look to have a HUGE debt, you don't expect them to spend much, so they can afford to offer low prices for players... they don't appear to have the money. Now they do, and may well get screwed in the same sense that City is being screwed atm.

[Liam]

I think that Man U have to sell him, and that they will do fine without him, personally. He didn't have the awesome super killer season last year like he did the year before, and they cantered to the title. Use the money wisely, and they'll reap the benefits. Ronaldo, whilst obviously very talented, looked good due to the system that Man United play, and that players such as Rooney, Tevez and Park do a hell of a lot of the leg work as well. With those kinda players behind you, you only really need to find someone who works well in that system, and they shouldn't have too many problems.

[IAceI]

Should be incentive for Tevez to stay now, he'll probably see more time due to his ability to play out wide up at the top of the field like Ronaldo was utilised. Also maybe their replacement will track back a little better, they're not going to get a better player than Ronaldo - he's the best, so whinging about whose going to replace him is no good. Man Utd could pick up a bunch of good players and some youth on top of that to make their team a bit better in lots of departments.

And with Kaka and Ronaldo, maybe Real Madrid will finally make a Quarter Final of the Champions League. A phenomenal team who were already capable of beating the best in the world on their day - now with arguably 2 of the best 3 players in the world in their side, they should be more than a match. Might push Barca for the league title now as well, although I'd much rather see Villareal, Sevilla etc. catch up than Real and Barca push further ahead but oh well.

[Matt]

Real will really push on now, I think, apparently they're going to bring in a top quality left back which will pretty much complete their defence - New LB, Garay, Pepe and Ramos with Casillas in goal - something they never really had under Galacticos I. They could maybe do with a defensive midfielder to go with them but in the next 2 seasons (it might take a year for them to gel properly and such), they'll be challenging for the CL again.

[Fudge]

Hopefully United sign the next big wonderkid again with some of the money.

[The Quasi Juice]

So Real's midfield and attack is going to be (I guess):

Diarra - Gago as DM's

Ronaldo - Kaka - Robben

Huntelaar

This leaves out fuckin' Van der Vaart and Sneijder, two players who should be playing in the starting line-up for a world class team. They are now basically for the taking, it's insane. Also, I was wondering if Real really buy Silva from Valencia, then Robben can go to Man Utd as Ronaldo's replacement maybe?

[Dynamite]

Villa will replace Huntelaar it seems.