Alex Ferguson knows better than most that Cristiano Ronaldo may move to Real Madrid this summer. Fergie's first choice to replace C-Ron is Lionel Messi, but there's zero chance that Messi will swap Barcelona for Manchester.
So, the second best player in the world (Ronaldo) wants to leave Old Trafford, and the best player in the world (Messi) won't come to Old Trafford. That leaves Fergie with a superstar-shaped hole to fill. The player he has chosen to step into C-Ron's boots is... drum roll (just pretend you didn't read the headline)... Franck Ribery.
According to the Guardian, sources in Munich claim that Bayern have received a world record £62.5m bid for Ribery from United.
£62.5m! Phew, that's a hell of a lot of money for a 26-year-old player who, in my opinion, has yet to prove he is absolutely world-class. Don't get me wrong - Ribery is very, very good footballer and he'd be an excellent addition to a squad that is already the strongest in Europe. But I can't believe he'd make anything like the impact that Ronaldo has; the scar-faced Frenchman wouldn't sell as many shirts as Ronaldo, nor seduce as many WAGs. As far as Fergie is concerned, that's a good thing.
Bayern have reportedly turned down United's initial bid, but only because that's how the transfer game is played. The Germans couldn't say yes at the first attempt, although I imagine they provately see £60m+ for Ribery as a brilliant bit of business - especially if Bayern can poach Diego from Werder Bremen, for a quarter of that price.
Until now, I thought that Ronaldo would stay at United. But with news of this Ribery bid, it seems Ferguson is resigned to losing his Portuguese prodigy.
Verdict: Despite this story, I still think Ronaldo will be persuaded to stay. If so, I could see Ribery being tempted by Man City's cash.
