Should Cristiano Ronaldo leave Manchester United?

Cristiano Ronaldo has admitted he would like to play for Real Madrid, but only if they are prepared to pay Manchester United whatever they ask and him a world record wage.

The figures reported are astonishing: United could stand to receive around £76 million and the player £200,000 a week.

So should both parties take the money and run?

If the player's heart is no longer at Old Trafford then isn't it better that Sir Alex Ferguson cashes in now? And who would begrudge anyone the opportunity to earn such riches at only 23-years-old?

What about United - think of the players they could buy with that massive wedge of cash? For one Ronaldo they could probably get a Kaka plus an Eto'o. Or an Adebayor. Or a Ronaldinho. Not bad business.

Or should success on the field be more important, with Ronaldo unlikely to achieve in Spain what he can at United? He already has one Champions League winner's medal to his name and who knows how many more he could collect if he stays in a side that features Carlos Tevez, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand etc.

Should Ronaldo leave Manchester United? Vote now and leave your comments below.

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Comments

[debbie ofori-attah]

i really love man utd. and love CR too i wish he stays at man utd, cos who knows he could be a man utd legend someday .is true that is business but some times good name is better riches.after all i do not think CRwill be poor should he stay at man utd. we love him bcos he does well but he should not forget that we love him more bcos he is a red devil. CR should think carefully beore taking any decision.

WE LOVE YOU CHRISTIANO RONALDO.

[Paul Stevens]

He simply wants to move to Real for the money amongst smaller other things? However, i can't see how he expects to win more trophies with Real when the entire united team work so well with him in it. it's simple! You're going to win far more trophies with united & that's why he started playing football in the first place!!! The money's just made players so pathetically greedy!

[Anthony]

What reds fans can't accept is that, for once, it is Man U who are the small fish being preyed on by a bigger one (the 9 times European Cup winners and FIFA team of the 20th century).

It was okay for Ferdinand, Rooney and Carrick (to name a few) to be enticed away from their clubs and join United. In fact, they were welcomed with open arms without a thought for the disappointed fans of the clubs they had left and without Man U fans questioning whether Owen Hargreaves, for example, (who was less than 2 years into a 4 year contract) should have been more loyal to Bayern Munich. Ronaldo, on the other hand, is accused of disloyalty and greed by United suporters for wanting to join Real Madrid.

One word to describe the attitude of United fans would be "hypocrisy". Personally, I think they're behaving like a spoilt 5 year old child who doesn't want anyone else to touch his toys. Grow up.

[Oliver]

Every football player wants to play for Real Madrid. And Real Madrid's knocking on Ronaldo's door! It's natural for him to leave his current team, just as Cannavaro, Ramos, Sneijder, Robinho, Robben, van Nistelrroy and some others did. United won't be the exception.

[Saba]

I don't want to get into sports/supporters side of it. As a doctoral student of Economics:
1) Ronaldo is worth about 1.5 times of any potential transfer fee in terms of revenue generation for the club like shirt sales, image etc.
2) MU's debts are quite manageable for a club of their size and they are the no 1 brand. i.e. if any club can get out of this debt United can. Better to pay interest on loan than tax.
3) Banks won't lend money unless they have done serious research. In terms of standing assets alone (players + stadium) net value easily would cross 500 million.
4) Football fans are very passionate and loyal. Also ticket prices are half that of Arsenal so there is a scope of increasing.
5) TV revenue for Premier League is projected to skyrocket.

The only thing that would upset the applecart is finishing below 4th or failing to get beyond group stages for 4 or 5 successive seasons which would seriously dent the image.

That is why positive images like sporting success, playing attractive football, developing youth is so crucial.

[maran]

Sell him at 100 million pounds. If his heart is not at United, then it is best that we cash on him. Ronaldo is young and foolish to think that he is the best player in the world. I feel that his ego is growing above his head. Man United is not about one single player club.

[Eamon]

I am an avid Manchester United fan and have loved going to watch Ronaldo at Old Trafford ever since he started and i am bitterly disapponted with how this has turned out. He is just sticking two massive fingers up to the fans and all the people who stuck by him when the going was tough - when his dad died, after the world cup and euros - and who made him into the player he is today. i don't belive he would have developed as well at any other club in the world, certainly not without Ferguson.

As well as all that, United are champions of both England and Europe, why would he want to leave now? i firmly believe that we can retain the Champions League trophy next season with him in our team. Real got knocked out very early in the competition and i cant see them doing that much next season even with Ronaldo, so i can't even see the sense in it from that point of view. He has another four years at least to move to spain, this Man Utd team is going to be winning things for a while, he should be a part of it and it's dissappointing from a fans perspective that he probably wont be.

[Darryl Parkinson]

If he wants to leave then I say let him go - I just wish that there was some integrity left in the sport as in todays world even signing a contract actually amounts to nothing.

Would hate to lose him but if the stories about his mom wanting him to move are true then hell I say let him go, I would want to please my mom too and well if the money is accurate then why not. Long live Ronaldo and may he find success wherever he plays - he truly is one of a kind

[Barry Kearney-Luc]

If he does not want to play for United, and Real are willing to pay 150 - 200 million, then let him go.

United should base the transfer fee on the potential commerical revenues the Real expect to gain from such a tranfer.

Selling him for anything less than that is senseless. Real paid 25 million for Beckham and earned an awful lot more selling shirt no. 23

[H.Roberst]

Look at all the bitter sad Mancs here...none of course who live in Manchester!

You owe, you owe, to RM he'll go...It's that simple.

[red smurf]

Forevergooner- Premiership & European Champions-What a crisis!!!!!!!!!!

[Javier]

I'm from Madrid, and I'd rather see Ronaldo as far as I can. It would be too much money, I prefer to hire Villa (Valencia) and other two or three players more from the front line, and don't spend all the year's budget just in one player. R. Madrid is still making the team after the leaving of Florentino Perez, and here people don't trust this kind of hiring politic, because we all remember the problems with a team full of stars (Zidane, Figo, Ronaldo, Beckam,...): R. Madrid didn't win anything in three long, long years.

[Thiago]

I'm brazillian and I've gotten my degree in Leeds Uni. And i think that it's one of the reasons why i understand and support Ronaldo if he does decide to leave for Madrid. You guys don't understand how latin people miss the weather. How we like to be close to home. Why we only leave our parents house to get married. I don't know. People talk that Ronaldo is lacking respect and appreciation. But guys... It's just football. It's just a sport. It's only entertainment. When we start mixing pride with sports thats when things start going the wrong way. Because it's just one step away from mixing things like religion and some other stuff. Let the kid go and play for the team he always dreamed of as a child. Let him go to the warm weather. Let him go closer to his family.

[Tim]

United should cash in now - best player in the World or not. His heart isn't with the club and he would need to do some major league a**e licking to win the fans back. It's best for all concerned if he stopped blowing kisses to Madrid and went all the way.

[William]

Let him go, he is an asset who is only a broken ankle away from being a liability.

[manu]

What many don´t understand is the greatness of real, nine times champions of europe, and how important to creative players (messi, zidane, romario, laudrup, maradona) it´s to play in la liga, known as the most spectacular league. Ronaldo has been saying since 2005 (check the press) that his dream is to play at real. Most kids of the world outside the UK dream with one day wearing the misthic white shirt.

[forevergunner]

This is what happens when a club is so heavily in debt !! The financiers will ensure that Ronaldo is sold to pay a small part of this year's interest bill !! Of course,the small matter of 20% of season ticket holders not renewing might have something to do with it !! They're still paying Lego for adding seats in every orifice at the Theatre of Prawns ! A club in crisis. Hasn't Abramovitch got any mates who would be interested in bailing out a worthy cause ? If it would help,they wouldn't mind registering as a bona-fide charity ! If it wasn't so funny,it would be quite sad.

[Colin Dixon]

United should sit down and work out exactly how much they would want for Ronaldo, and tell Real that they will sell him the second they get that amount. That would turn the tables on Real Madrid. If Real start to haggle, or try dirty tricks, then United will have the PR advantage of showing Real up as a bunch of cheapskates, bolstering their chances of having them reprimanded. If United were clever, they could link Madrid's moral bankruptcy to their consipicuous lack of recent internation success, maybe smearing a little mud on the magic white shirt.

If on the other hand Real match the valuation, then sell. It would be a case of willing seller, and willing buyer. It's nonsense to suggest that Ronaldo is priceless. One injury or a poor season (just which great player was great every year?) could spoil everything. Far better to take Real Madrid's money and build a stronger team of people who want to stay there....

United seem so niaive compared to real. Why don't they realise that they are in the driving seat?

[philip howard]

Watch out for Nike and Adidas slogging this one out,
Ronaldo has a new deal with Nike in place for next
season at Man U which will give him another £150,000
a week plus his salary, It will cost Real Madrid£300,000
a week in wages to match it. Transfer fee minimum
£130 million based on potential shirt sales over 5 years.
Big minus for Adidas sales with United fans when the
full story comes out. Real Madrid petty cash in this
deal. RM and CR they deserve each other, a marriage made in hell.

[Micky]

I think people some people are thinking about this the wrong way. If you were Ronadlo would you leave arguably the best team (winning a EPL-EUFA double proves it) in the world to play for a team who consistanly struggle in Europe since they last won and play in a league were the competition isn't as great in comparison to where you are currently.

If he knows anything about loyalty, then he should stand by his commitment. If he wants to become what most of the young EPL based players like Beckham, Anelka, Owen etc and break down easily or be told you aren't good enough or wanted by managers.

Would you give up playing for a team that has the potential to go back to back in Europe for the first time since 1990 to go to a team who probably won't feature in the final in the next 3-5 years if the past few years are anything to go by.

If logic provails then he would stay. United are the only team that would win a treble. Does Ronaldo want to be remember as a whore who left for moneyt or remembered as the greatest player to play for Manchester United and probably the best non-english player ever in the top flight?

If Ronaldo still wants to go to Madrid, wouldn't you do it at the end of the contract when you are in the prime of your career at 27? That makes more sense.

I thought players wanted to play to win trophies, obviously the example of Ryan Giggs isn't good enough for a self indulgent prick like Ronaldo. If Ronaldo is the 'best player in the world' say to Ronaldo 'if you want to leave we are trading you to Barcelona for Lionel Messi + 50 million pounds' or say to Real Madrid 100 million pounds, nothing less.I am sure we can use that money over 2-4 years.

Ronaldo doesn't know the value of the club, he thinks he is more important than the club. No player is bigger or more important than the club.

[anonymous]

let him leave if he want to leave.for how many years United are playing without Ronaldo snd still kept winning trophies.he's not the one who's making United a great team.so,fergie should let him go if he want to.lets see what he can do without him.

[Robert]

Let him go, there nothing to achieve with MU for Ronaldo any more.

[Jon Jon]

Who are you jokers who say he is not good. Did you watch this last season? Don't be so bitter. Anyways, United should fleece Madrid for all they got and turn that into 4 world class players instead of one. His time in Manchester has been amazing but he can be replaced.

[pramod]

hi ronaldo want to leave only because alex has treated in badly - the comment from MANU that he will be allowed to rotten on bench rather let him go to madrid is sign of how bad the thing are at MANU - i am not a real madird fan but i can let you that real madrid football suits him much then physical foot ball of MANU

[Jeff]

I read all these commments from M.U fans and understand thier fustration and venting but let me make 3 or 4 points and be honnest about this.
1) If CR wanted to stay he would have came out BLUNTLY and said so as did Torres with liverpool no matter the money. so weather it be money or as his mum said , playing for madrid is his dream.. The kid wants to leave.

2) Alot of hatred and anger is being sent to real but Calderon and Shuster are only doing what fergi would do for Man u. He (Fergi) is one for the most cruel and harsh managers ever but i love him for it because he puts M.U first.

3) i think the move would be good for M.U and CR but bad for madrid, they (real)invested time and money in a young talented team with good idols like rudd n raul and won the la liga first up under shuster. This madrid team is exactly that A TEAM , every one worked hard to win .Though some players were more skilled than other e.g robinho.They all played with madrid at heart and as a unit. CR will offset that balance because he demands attention and playing time . for e.g robinho was benced and understood it was a team game.CR will not be the same, he is espected to play , which means rotation on the left will stop so even in robinho leaves, robben will stil struggle.

so to me it all lies at the player. Last year Man, u fans wanted him gone because of world cup but , now the cussin him out because he wants to leave.lol.lol i find that funny. calderon and Madrid would'nt run full steam ahead for him if they were not being fuled by his agents.

So if he moves i think he will score many goals because gago,sheidjer,baptista,guti etc will create many changes as did teves n rooney but i dont think real madrid will win many cups becasue that team spirit they had this past season will die once the Stardom players are signed.