EXCLUSIVE: £100m to burn – Fergie
delight at Ronaldo sale as United chase Ribery and
Benzema
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Sir Alex Ferguson has been handed a £100million transfer
fund by Manchester United after he personally gave the order for
Cristiano Ronaldo to be sold to Real Madrid. And United last night
prepared to enter a bidding war with Chelsea for France
international Franck Ribery which could go as high as
£65m.
Old Trafford boss Ferguson is also known to have Lyon’s £25m
forward Karim Benzema on his hit list and he hopes to conclude the
£16m signing of Wigan’s Antonio Valencia in the near future.
The path was cleared for Ronaldo to realise his dream to join
Real when the Spanish club came good on a world record, £80m deal
struck with United before Christmas. The transfer should be tied up
in the next few days.
Revealed by Sportsmail in early April, the deal will see United
collecting a flat one-off fee, with Ronaldo earning £200,000 a week
over the course of what is expected to be a six-year contract.
It became clear yesterday that far from being reluctant to allow
Ronaldo to leave, Ferguson actively encouraged the deal once he was
made aware of the massive fee. It is also understood that Ferguson
has been given a personal assurance by the club’s owners, the
Glazer family, that the entire proceeds of the deal will be made
available along with his annual £20m transfer budget.
Whether the United boss opts to spend it all is another matter —
United must find £65m a year just to service club debt, according
to financial experts — but he is certainly not short of options as
he looks to replace a player who has underpinned the club’s return
to the top of the European game over the last few years.
Wigan’s Ecuador winger Valencia has long been a Ferguson target
and he will
almost certainly join shortly while the United manager has not yet
given up on
persuading Carlos Tevez to stay on a long-term deal rather than
join neighbours
Manchester City.
Indications from the Tevez camp last night were that the
Argentine — away on
international duty — was still undecided, even if United meet the
£25m his rights
owners want.
As well as Benzema, Ferguson’s hit-list includes Barcelona
holding player Yaya Toure, another City target. He has just turned
down a contract extension at the Nou Camp. It is, however, the
prospect of United going head to head with Chelsea for Bayern
Munich’s Ribery that looks the most mouthwatering, and the
suggestion from Stamford Bridge last night was that the London club
certainly expect their rivals to be involved.
Bayern have already indicated the 26-year-old is not for sale
and it is thought that it will take an offer of around £65m for the
Frenchman to be prised away. Another complication is that his wife
is not thought to be keen on England and would rather her husband
join Ronaldo in Madrid.
But what is certain is that United have the financial muscle to
add to Ferguson’s squad as he looks to minimise the loss of a
player who has had such a phenomenal impact at Old Trafford since
he joined the club as an 18-year-old from Sporting Lisbon in August
2003.
Having persuaded Ronaldo to stay at United when Real came
calling last summer,
the club realised during the early stages of the season just
finished that it was right
to cash in if the Spaniards came through with the money stipulated
in a deal eventually struck in the winter.
And when Ferguson — currently on holiday on the Cote D’Azur —
was informed that £80m was still on the table this week, he
instructed the United board to accept the bid. United confirmed a
deal had been agreed with a short statement early yesterday
morning, and it was subsequently underlined privately that Ferguson
would have
the money at his disposal.
‘It was the manager’s decision and it was supported by the
board,’ a spokesman for
the Glazers said. ‘The deal hasn’t even been done yet, so we don’t
know how much will be available, and it would be inappropriate to
comment on the use of the funds.’
Ronaldo’s personal terms were agreed in principle some time ago.
It is thought he will be unveiled in Spain along with Real’s other
big signing, Kaka, on June 29.
Former Real president Ramon Calderon yesterday confirmed
Sportsmail’s exclusive that Ronaldo’s transfer was agreed last
summer. He told 5 Live: ‘Last season United decided not to do it
because they thought it was too early and everyone agreed to do it
this season.’
Real’s Portugal defender Pepe last night welcomed his
compatriot’s arrival. He said:
‘He’s worth the money, and more. With Kaka, he’ll make us the best
in the world.’
