United battle to keep star duo

James Robson and Peter Spencer

June 05, 2009

Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez

UNITED are fighting to keep Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez out of the clutches of their deadliest rivals.

Real Madrid's new president Florentino Perez is again targeting Ronaldo as well as Kaka - potential world record-breaking transfers aimed at bringing the glory days back to the Bernabeu.

The Spanish aristocrats are also monitoring the Tevez wrangle, although of more immediate concern to United is the prospect of the Argentinian star joining mega-bucks City, who are first in the queue ready with a near £100,000-a-week wage offer if talks at Old Trafford break down.

City see the acquisition of Tevez as a statement of intent following the £12m capture of Gareth Barry from Aston Villa on Tuesday.

United's top brass met Tevez's representative Kia Joorabchian for two hours earlier this week and, although no details have been made public, it is understood a compromise deal has been thrashed out after the champions stuck to their guns, refusing to shell out £26m to to make his stay permanent.

Joorabchian and United chief executive David Gill agreed to delay a decision until next week after Tevez has played for his country in World Cup matches against Colombia and Ecuador and had time to discuss his future in detail.

Resistance

Meanwhile Sir Alex Ferguson is resisting all attempts to prise away Ronaldo... but knows he is in for his toughest fight yet to keep his star asset.

Perez, building his second team of Galacticos, is on the threshold of a world record £56m move for Kaka from AC Milan - and is willing to go even further to land Ronaldo.

"Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the best players in the world," he said. "I'm going to work to bring Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid."

But United still hold the trump card in as much as Ronaldo has three years to run on his contract.

Ferguson also seems absolutely determined not to cave in to Real, and knows United's owner, the Glazers, will stand by his decision after recording world record operating profits for a football club of nearly £72m.

What's more, Ferguson could bring in at least £10m by off-loading fringe players such as Darron Gibson, Fraizer Campbell and Danny Simpson.

As well as Real's interest, City face competition on the home front for Tevez with Liverpool and even Chelsea, who both have the lure of the Champions League next season.

Do you think United will hold on to Ronaldo and Tevez? Have your say.

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Frank Old Trafford (05/06/2009 at 09:14)

No doubt very shortly we'll have the usual non-commital statement from Ronaldo. He really is very easy to dislike.

The Manc Man, Manchester (05/06/2009 at 09:31)

Keeping Tevez doesn't really concern me, He run's about a lot but the quality of end product isn't top class for me and as for Ronaldo if we can screw Madrid for £80m+ i'd let him go too,this saga is getting boring now and if we can spend the transfer fee on 3 or 4 top class players would we really be any worse off?

George Kane, Stretford (05/06/2009 at 09:40)

If City & Liverpool being interested in Tevez pushes the price up of his fee & increases his wages so the money is n't available for them to strengthen elsewhere,well the two local rivals have won anyway ?
Liverpool have less money to spend than Wigan so I reckon it will be City pressure.

chris, oxford (05/06/2009 at 09:43)

What I don't get is all this talk of a pre-contract agreement for Ronaldo, isn't that tapping up in the extreme or, if true, was it worked out between the two clubs and United haven't exactly been honest with us? If the former will the football authorities do anything to RM? Highly doubtful, it seems any European team can get away with murder but heaven forbid an English club should do anything.

Gilly, Belgium (05/06/2009 at 09:43)

Yes they will !

davmac, manchester (05/06/2009 at 09:55)

Instead of looking to buy forwards, Real Madrid should be looking to shore up their defence which was their biggest problem last year - their annihilation at the hands of Liverpool proof of that. But this is what happens when a president takes control of buying players. Then, all logic flies out of the window. It is also amazing that everything coming out of the Bernabau is from the mouth of Perez and nothing from Real's new manager - who is he again? Manchester United is a lesson to be learned by these people: Gill runs the admin, Fergie the football side. That's where success comes from - from leaving individuals who know what they are doing to get on with it without interference from amateurs. It's no wonder, then, that the best Spanish manager in the business - Benitez - continues to ply his trade in the Premiership, while the club he played for as a boy continues to languish in European mediocrity. Who is to blame? The fans. They voted first for Calderon then for Perez. I have no sympathy for them and look forward to the likes of Kaka and Ronaldo coming up against Ferdinand and Vidic in next season's Champion's League.

Bradley (05/06/2009 at 09:56)

Ron has stated a few times he wants to stay at United. IF United decide to sell then he'll go, but why would they. Next summer is the crunch time as he can tell United he'll buy out his contract if he wants to fulfil his dream. Not sure why people find it so hard to accept that he wants to follow a dream, if any of us were in his position i.e. best player in the world and at a successful club and United came in with a massive bid and salary package, then we'd stay loyal? I very much doubt it.
As for Tevez, I can't see why United would keep him, Rooney needs more games up front, Tevez wants to start the majority of games and wants to go home in 3 or 4 years, 26 million plus wages for 3 or 4 years? Not good sense

dufster, NI (05/06/2009 at 09:58)

Did i miss a memo, dont see much fightin being done to hang on to Tevez!!

Mr C, Swinton (05/06/2009 at 10:12)

If they both want to leave let them, we'll replace and rebuild like we have done for years.

nas99, Stretford (05/06/2009 at 10:12)

Tevez will most probably go. The asking price for him by his agent is grossly over his actual value and under no circumstance should United be taken to the cleaners as Tottenham did with Berbatoz with that ridiculous price tag.

As for Ronaldo this could all come to an end if Ronaldo just expresses his desire to stay with the club that he has won so much with. If only he could show the same loyalty that the fans have shown him.

It looks like the whole saga of will he stay or go that we all had to endure last summer will be repeated yet again. I hate the idea of one person disrespecting and holding our great club to ransom but then he has been our top goal scorer for the past three seasons.

A dilemma Fergie knows best how to deal with.

Rick, Glos (05/06/2009 at 10:15)

Its going to take a season or wo, but best to get used to the fact that City will soon have a better side than United. Chelsea will sadly win the prem next season, but in season 2010/2011 City will win it. I'm really excited by the thought of City and United battling it out at the top of the game, and just hope United don't go bankrupt and spoil the fun.

Duncan, London (05/06/2009 at 10:18)

When did City become a rival?

Augustus Gloop (05/06/2009 at 10:32)

It's obviously important Ronaldo stays. Tevez though? No thanks.

Brian, Brussels (05/06/2009 at 10:43)

Fight to keep Ronny for sure but we don't need Tevez as he isn't good enough or quick enough. If Ronny isn't prepared to sign a new contract then its time to sell I'm afraid but we must move on this summer and improve the team. With the money RM and others are prepared to spend it is going to get alot tougher to win the CL and as we've just seen we need to get more quality and dispense of the likes of Tevez & Park and retire Giggs & Scholes.

wrighty city, city (05/06/2009 at 10:43)

Thought Tevez position was supposed to be sorted out quickly one way or the other per Chief Execs interview on Radio 5 live before Champions League final.

Reckon he has already gone to City this posturing is just an attempt to save face!

Alias Smith, over the moon (05/06/2009 at 10:44)

chris, I think you've hit the nail on the head there. Tapping up is OK as long as it's not an English club doing it. And, of course, if Spain, Italy or France were dominating the CL (leaving aside Barca's flukey win!) then UEFA would not be in the least bit concerned about it. And to think we invented the game!

edinburgh red, edinburgh (05/06/2009 at 10:45)

Would hate to see ronaldo go but if his heart's not into the cause get as much money out of real as possible,also we cannot let him buy himself out of his contract which would only get us about 10million, keeping tevez would be great also but it wouldn't be like signing a new player and would prefer someone like benzema or even the german bloke who city are looking at, 30 goals in 33 game,strong in the air and can hold up the ball and a fraction of tevez's price which would work out more than torres which is ridiculous especially when we need to strengthen midfield.
Also I would sell simpson and campbell but keep gibson if downing is worth 12million and never scores why should our players go for a million, but if all have to be sold can we at least get decent money from them and sell on clauses put in,the forlan transfer probably lost us about 10million.

edinburgh red, edinburgh (05/06/2009 at 10:53)

Also with valencia going into meltdown along with liverpool, lets bid for gerrard and torres along with vill and silva

Steve in Brussels (05/06/2009 at 11:06)

so no disclosure on TV revenues. convenient that. Helps in getting taxpayer cheques from the king if you can put it on the corrupt books as TV revenue.

Oh and nice that they are conveniently exempt (no reason given) from being made to be a PLC. Nothing to do with PLCs having to disclose figures to the stock market i'm sure.

oh and even more galling. Real is excluded from social and banking rules on paying debts in the middle of a financial crisis when banks are skint and 18% of the spanish taxpayers that finance a lot of it are unemployed and many having their houses repossessed as they can't make the payments and are not excluded from social and banking rules on paying debts.

it is the contempt in the face of this that riles all the more and they then support their jewel-encrusted purchased member blatter against club debt.

And you wonder why I hate them. When i studied there I knew an Atletico fan who used to spit blood at the mere mention of them as he finances his biggest enemy whilst suffering their arrogant rhetoric. They are the true evil in football.

This is why we must under no circumstances bow down to them. next year rooney, anderson, vidic? all with money pulled from behind the grassy knoll in wonderland.We should send the message that we know your game but cross us brits and we'll cut yer johnson off.

Plus I notice it begins already. someone already trying to blame ronaldo over what this perez says and exonerate madrid from any blame despite the blatently obvious opposite.

red john (05/06/2009 at 11:14)

i think that people should remember that great player that he is; ronaldo isnt irreplacable; if we were offered £80 mill i would think seriuosly about letting him go and bringing in 3/4 new players to strenthen the squad!great players come and go but the club will still be here in another 100 years!

stevi, france (05/06/2009 at 11:16)

If some of the things Tevez has been saying are true then its time he went and if he feels its a good idea to go to city then all his words about loving the fans was bullshit! Bye bye Tevez its your loss not ours....

As for Ronaldo...if RM offer £75 million then he should be sold with our blessing, its his dream and I can't stand another will he won't he summer...lets take the money & move on.

We should go for Benzema and Valencia....I think we'll get a better return from Benzema than Tevez and although Valencia isn't yet in the same class as CR he's got a lot of potenial and will track back meaning we can put Rooney in a more central role which is clearly his best position.

malywilson, Offerton (05/06/2009 at 11:17)

Duncan London......

Great comment if you want to show your knowledge about football/geography/history (which is clearly very little). City & United have been rivals since about 1880.....or have I misunderstood?

Little Red Devil, England (05/06/2009 at 11:32)

I can't see Ronaldo playing for anyone else but SAF at United, i think it would be very damaging for the club if they both left at the same time ie next season which is a possiblity.

IMO Loves United hates England , a country that wants him fail, tries to knock him down for the slightest thing and will never fully appriciate his talents.

Jaco, South Africa (05/06/2009 at 11:32)

Instead of trying to retain Tevez, unless we at least halve the quoted 25M fee, we should focus on getting a world class goalscoring forward. David Villa is available, apparently for around 30M (that's less than Berbatov!). If we can get Villa, we will be unstoppable - he has outscored Fernando Torres consistently in Spain. Real Madrid are also in for him, but I'm sure we can convince him to come to Old Trafford.
I think Ronaldo will stay, but you never really know...

Alias Smith, over the moon (05/06/2009 at 11:33)

Totally confused as to why my sentence about how debt in PL clubs gets Platini stressed but it's OK for Real to have massive debts troubled the MEN editorial team that much that it had to be removed!

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