Let the Drama Begin

The European club season is over. Gentlemen, start your transfers.

Like clockwork, every summer brings a transfer saga, a great headline-generating will-he-won’t-he drama, with millions of dollars packing every rumor. This year, it will feature all the usual suspects. With a new president in Florentino Perez, Real Madrid and its bottomless pockets should be at the center of it. And, as the transfer market opens today, he is clearly intent on signing Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

“Madrid should have brought Cristiano Ronaldo as Beckham’s replacement two years ago,” Perez told London’s Sunday Times last week.

There are no doubts that Real can afford him, whatever the price. But can United afford to lose him? For over two years now, Ronaldo has been at the very heart of the team, driving their offensive efforts. That said, the club has lost irreplaceable players before — just look at David Beckham, Peter Schmeichel and Ruud van Nistelrooy. The Daily Telegraph is even saying that they should welcome Ronaldo’s departure.

“As outrageously gifted as Ronaldo is you sense that this brilliance is delivered in his own interests first,” writes the Telegraph’s Kevin Garside. “Fantastic when it comes off, but not so good when things do not go his way.”

Perez is also reportedly interested in Brazilian playmaker Kaka. But who knows if that will work? We all remember Manchester City’s outrageous offer for him in January — he responded by pledging his future to A.C. Milan. It should be interesting to see if his answer is any different with Real trying to build a new generation of galacticos.