(Shhh! I made a mistake on my tax return but I think I got away with it!)
There is a very good chance that Cristiano Ronaldo will be playing his football at the Bernabeu again next season. Falling out with the Spanish tax authorities seems to be an occupational hazard when you are Him, Neymar or Lionel Messi.
The problem is that these players actually don’t know if they have done anything wrong or not. They employ accountants to save them money. They are probably kept informed about what is happening with their wealth although it is highly doubtful that many, if any of them, understand the intricacies of successful tax avoidance.
Ronaldo has done what everybody would expect Ronaldo to do when accused of tax evasion, a subtly different matter to tax avoidance, he has thrown his toys and everything else out of his very expensive pram.
Never has he been so insulted. Well, apart from that day he scored against Arsenal in the Champion’s League, at the Emirates. But this takes the biscuit. How dare they accuse Him of anything untoward? It’s enough to make one pack ones bags and head for the nearest private plane just to escape the press hullabaloo.
The cynics have seen through this façade of course. They knew immediately that this was just another ploy in order to be handed a new contract with zeros being the foremost number on it.
But what if it isn’t a ploy by Him? What if he is actually being accused of something he did/didn’t do?
Obviously he would have to remain in Spain long enough to appear in court if and when required and, assuming a successful outcome, would he still be of a mind to leave everything he has built up in that country over the years?
His options are quite limited, believe it or not. He is the only player over thirty who could command a fee in excess of £100 million, (Messi isn’t yet thirty). When this fee is added to his wages then the number of clubs who could actually afford him is narrowed down considerably.
Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United are the European clubs who immediately spring to mind and City can probably be ruled out because of Ronaldo’s history with United.
China was an option but new law over there which requires clubs to pay a tax equal to the transfer fee would make his cost prohibitive even for their cash rich clubs.
So Manchester United would be the favourites if all parties mentioned were interested.
The thing is that Manchester United no longer need Cristiano Ronaldo. They don’t need his wages, they don’t need to spend the money required to get him and they don’t need him in the team.
Remember, much as we all loved having him at Old Trafford, it was he who wanted to go and give his best years to Real Madrid. Yes, he is a swarthy southern European who probably feels much more at home in Spain, (until now, anyway), than he ever did in Manchester. But as someone who still professes his love for Manchester United, the question still remains as to why he left in the first place.
Maybe the fact that he has three Champion’s League winners medals with Madrid goes some way to explaining his decision. It could be the climate, the food or just the prestige of playing for Los Blancos. Whatever the reason, he chose to leave. Manchester United didn’t want him to go, the supporters didn’t want him to go and the Premier League didn’t want him to go.
Now it could be that he wants to come back. He is thirty two and his best years are behind him. He is, however, still a great player and would get into any team in the world without a problem.
His commitment, attitude, fitness and dedication have never been in doubt so, in those respects, he would be a good signing for anyone. If only he wasn’t so expensive!
And it is this which should prevent Manchester United from even expressing an interest in him. Even in today’s super-inflated market place he isn’t worth the money. He would now not bring enough to the team to justify the outlay and it has to be remembered that any sell-on value will be diminishing from here on in. Any money spent on him now is non-refundable.
If he is to leave Real Madrid then let it be to Paris, China or even America, although we think pride would keep him in Europe. As long as it isn’t back to Old Trafford which would be a backwards step for both Him and the club.
WHY SAY ANYTHING? 