MANCHESTER UNITED fear they will be left with the Cristiano Ronaldo cash burning a hole in their pockets as Real Madrid chase every one of their top targets to replace him.
OLD PALS ACT: Franck Ribery could follow mate Zidane
Franck Ribery heads Sir Alex Ferguson’s wanted list following Ronaldo’s world-record £80million move to Madrid.
But last night France winger Ribery was told by Zinedine Zidane he should be playing next season at the Bernabeu, not Old Trafford.
“I am in talks with Franck,” said Zidane, an advisor to Real Madrid president Florentino Perez.
“He is a fantastic player who has his place at Real. And playing in this team is a career opportunity which, to me, you do not refuse. It would be a nice opportunity for Franck. It’s up to him.”
Brazil playmaker Kaka has already joined from AC Milan for £56m, while Ribery is likely to cost about the same amount. They are also finalising a deal for another of Ferguson’s targets, the £34m Valencia striker David Villa, and chasing a third United target, Lyon’s Karim Benzema.
“Bringing together the best players in the world has a cost,” said Zidane, three times World Player of the Year and who wore the Real shirt from 2001 to 2006.
It may also come at a cost to Ronaldo, according to Carlos Queiroz, who claims the player was wrong to join Real and has raised concerns about off-field distractions at the Bernabeu.
Former Real boss Queiroz is Ronaldo’s coach at international level with Portugal and also had two spells as assistant manager at Manchester United. And he believes Ronaldo should have stayed at Old Trafford.
But Perez is looking to assemble a new group of Galacticos and says the economic benefits and spin-off deals from having the biggest stars at his club will more than pay back their massive transfer fees. Queiroz had a spell in charge of Zidane, Brazil striker Ronaldo and Luis Figo in the Spanish capital six years ago.
And for Ronaldo’s sake he hopes Real have found a balance between earning money and winning matches.
But he is still convinced Ronaldo, 24, is wrong to leave United.
“I have my opinion about my wish regarding the career of Cristiano and Manchester United was the right club for him,” he said.
“It’s something to do with the fashion, the television, a different game that is in place nowadays.
“I must say that at Real Madrid, these things can happen very easily.
“But I’m sure that since a few years ago, Florentino and sporting director Jorge Valdano will have learnt from their mistakes when players were too committed to advertising. There were a lot of compromises and deals away from the pitch. When the club is huge and you put together players such as Figo, Zidane and Roberto Carlos the challenge is huge.
“With Kaka and Ronaldo, that’s something they will come up against, but I’m sure the club have learnt from the past.”
Paul Ince has backed Sir Alex Ferguson to find a replacement for Ronaldo and continue United’s constant run of trophies.
There were calls for Ferguson’s head when he allowed Ince to leave Old Trafford for Inter Milan in 1995, but Ferguson was proved right as United remained at the top.
Ferguson has been linked with Ribery, Benzema and Antonio Valencia as possible replacements for Ronaldo, with Ince stating that Ferguson has a track record of dealing with the departure of star players.
Ince said: “It was going to happen and if it hadn’t been this season it would have been the season after.
“Ronaldo has always said he wanted to play for Real so Alex knew it was a matter of time.
“I don’t think Alex knew how much he’d get for him but he has shown in the past that he has let big-name players go, myself included, and still won trophies.”FOOTBALL: LIFE AFTER RONALDO‘United was the right club for Cristiano’
– Carlos Queiroz
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