Cristiano Ronaldo Should Remain at Real Madrid
If you are a rumor mill junkie like me, then you will have seen that the biggest rumor going around the world right now is the return 0f Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United, the club that he left at the end of the 2008-2009 season for his current club, Real Madrid.
While at Manchester United from the 2003 through 2009, Ronaldo led the red devils to three straight Premier League titles, a UEFA Champions League title and two FA Cup titles while also winning the PFA, FWA and Barclays Player of the Year awards in 2007 and 2008 while also taking home the Ballon d’Or (Worlds Best Player) in 2008. All of these successes came for the young Ronaldo while he was at Old Trafford and under the guidance of the great Sir Alex Ferguson.
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Since his then world record transfer of £80 million to Real Madrid in 2009, Ronaldo has only improved as a player. Twice at Real Madrid he has led Europe in goals scored and in 2013, he won his second FIFA Ballon d’Or. He has led Real Madrid to two Copa Del Reys, a La Liga title and a UEFA Champions League title.Though not as successful as his time at Manchester United, his time in the Spanish capital has been a successful one at the club and individual level.
Recently Manchester United have been reportedly organizing a bid for the star player, and though a return to the club that made him into, arguably, the best player in the world would make a great fairy tale, the move just makes no sense for both Manchester United and Ronaldo.
For Manchester United, the move would not make sense as it involves the fee required to pry Ronaldo from Real Madrid’s clutches. With a fee in the range of £60 million for the soon to be 30-year-old forward, the return on payment would not be beneficial at all for Manchester United. With the Premier League being one of the most physical in the world, Ronaldo would be in for a tough return to the league he once dominated.
The risk of injury for the aging forward over the next few years should be enough to stop this move from ever happening, especially with Ronaldo’s documented thigh problems this past summer. The physicality of the Premier League would set Ronaldo up for further injury and put unneeded risk on his playing career.
The move would also make no sense for Ronaldo himself. Not only would the move back to the Premier League put him in danger for increased injuries, but the move would be a step backward for the worlds best. Going from the defending UEFA Champions League champions to a club that will, in best case scenerio, barely qualify for champions league soccer next season.
Moving away from a club that always contends for not only La Liga titles but also for Champions League titles to a club that is in a rebuilding phase does not make sense. Though moving back to Manchester United and bringing them glory again would make a great end to a movie, it is not a plausible outcome for this scenario. Why would anyone want to go from contending for titles year after year to a club in the middle of its biggest overhaul in years?
Not only would Ronaldo staying at Real Madrid give him the opportunity to cement his legacy as the worlds best player, it would also give Ronaldo what he wants, the ability to win titles, something that the aging star would not be able to do for the first few years at Manchester United. With his playing career on the other side of the hill, Ronaldo cannot afford to waste years helping a club rebuild to contend for one last title. He has the ability to win now and every year hereafter at Madrid, something that he needs to do to become the greatest soccer player of all-time.