Real Madrid are spot on with plan to sell Cristiano Ronaldo
Real Madrid shouldn’t hold on to Cristiano Ronaldo too long
Florentino Perez’s job is to put Real Madrid in a position to field the best possible football team on an annual basis. Selling Cristiano Ronaldo in two years may not win him any admiration from fans of the Portuguese star, but it will help Real Madrid continue to field a dominant squad.
In case you missed it, Don Balon reported yesterday that Perez intends to sell Ronaldo to China in two years. The general idea is that Ronaldo’s game is starting to decline and as such, he won’t be able to finish his current deal with Los Blancos. Selling him to China before his game really falls into steep decline will allow the club to recoup most, if not all of the £80 million they paid to acquire him.
To some Real Madrid fans, this is the equivalent of suggesting a merger with Barcelona. Ronaldo has woven himself into the very fabric of the club with his sublime offensive game. It’s not an exaggeration to say that he’s been a dominant force at the club during his tenure. He’s earned the sincere adulation of the Real Madrid faithful.
No doubt Perez is thankful for his contributions to the club as well. He certainly understands that Real Madrid would not have won nearly as many matches without Ronaldo’s involvement. That does not, however, entitle him to a lifetime contract with the club.
Football can be a cold and ugly business. The sentimental thing for Real Madrid to do would be to keep Ronaldo in the starting XI for as long as he wants to stay at the club. Such sentimental decisions would cause Real Madrid to lose their place on top of La Liga.
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As such, you have to conclude that the club will be right to sell him at some point. Perez has two real options there. He could opt to wait until Ronaldo is simply unplayable to part ways with the superstar. That strategy would greatly diminish the club’s ability to fetch a massive transfer fee. Perhaps more importantly, it would put Zinedine Zidane in an impossible situation. He’d be the manager charged with gracefully ushering Ronaldo into a reduced role. Just ask Jose Mourinho how easy that’s been to do with Wayne Rooney.
The other option, is to sell him at the very start of his decline. Two years from now seems just about perfect timing. Ronaldo will still be a brilliant player, but he might not be good enough to justify a place in Madrid’s starting XI. Selling him to China will allow Perez to bring in a massive infusion of cash and let Ronaldo achieve a relatively graceful exit from the club where he truly became a superstar.
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Florentino Perez isn’t going to win a popularity contest when he sells Cristiano Ronaldo, but that isn’t his job. His job is to help Real Madrid win trophies. Selling Ronaldo in two years will give the club the best possible chance to win as much silverware as possible.