The Spanish newspaper Marca, well known as the mouthpiece of Real Madrid, have a really interesting story today that Manchester United are considering offering Wayne Rooney + €70m (£60m) for Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Marca story says:
Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney could be set to head in opposite directions in what would be one of the biggest transfer stories of the summer. According to the Daily Star’s Sunday sports supplement, Manchester United will fork out €70 million plus Rooney in order to bring the Portuguese star back to Old Trafford.
CR7 remains a hugely popular figure in Manchester, while Rooney would be a perfect makeweight in the deal, having been heavily tipped to leave Old Trafford. Though Chelsea has been linked with a swoop for the England international, now Real Madrid has entered the fray, as Bernabéu manager-to-be Carlo Ancelotti is a big fan of the striker and the club could easily match his wage demands.
The interesting thing here is that Marca, aka Real Madrid, have not rejected the proposed deal out of hand. They are interested enough that they are willing to float the idea through Marca and see what the public reaction is. If there is no pubic outcry in Madrid, then I expect Real to push forward and see where this deal goes.
The swap makes sense for both clubs. Both Rooney and Ronaldo have two years left on their current contracts and neither seem inclined to sign a new deal. Both players value will be much lower next season if either player were to be sold then.
One indication that this story might be more than just newspaper talk is bookmakers William Hill have dramatically slashed the odds on Rooney joining Real Madrid. Odds on Rooney heading to the Bernabeu have went from 33-1 to 6-1 this weekend.
Real Madrid’s new boss Carlo Ancelotti is a long-time admirer of Rooney and reportedly would be happy to sacrifice Ronaldo if it meant he could sign the United star.
As for Man United, they have been linked with their former player for about a year now. United are probably the only side in England that could afford Ronaldo’s wages, as his arrival will be met with delight by the Old Trafford fans, who still sing Ronaldo’s name every week.
What do you think of the story? Do you think Ronaldo and Rooney will swap clubs this summer?
