- Jul 29, 2006
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For him to go this summer will take far more than £100m the way I see it...even approaching Messi's £200+million buyout clause which PSV threatened to activate last week. All the factors combined make this the 'perfect storm' for an astonishing fee if he does go.
He is now a franchise player and now is the time that we are building a franchise more than ever before in our history- with a Stadium project to fund and a world brand to build. Not to mention the fact that aside from £10’s of millions he adds to potential sponsorship/naming rights deals, his remaining here for the season probably increases our chances of 4th (and with Soldardo/Coentrão and Sanchez added even winning the thing) by 50%.
Aside from his value to us, and the fact that we will never have a better player available to us, his transfer market value as a footballer alone is surely at least that of Ronaldo when he left Man U in 2009, which would be £95m at current rates (http://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/1hsqrm). In fact there are several factors which would indicate that he would have a higher value than Ronaldo '09 version, and I'd expect Levy to be aware of all of them.
1: He is coming off of a far better season than Ronaldo did in his last one with Man U - 08/09 (63 games, 5101mins, 27 goals, 11 assists for a goal/assist per 134minutes http://www.transfermarkt.com/en/cristiano-ronaldo-dos-santos-aveiro/leistungsdaten/spieler_8198_2008.html). With Bale trumping him scoreing/assisting every 93 minutes (52 games, 4498mins, 31 goals and 17 assists). In general he is on an upswing as a footballer and (theoretically) the perfect complement for Ronaldo on the left wing.
2: Bale has been achieving his stats in worse sides us/Wales than Ronaldo with Man U/Portugal
3: Bale is younger by 6 months than Ronaldo.
4: Unlike Ronaldo Bale is not agitating for a move, and claims to have dreamed of Madrid as a kid are laughable
5: The surrounding transfer market is a far more wealthy one than 4 years ago with all the 'Super-clubs' turning over at least 1/3 more than at the start of the credit crunch in 09. Man U have new sponserships of over £100 million/year newly signed, and stated that there is no limit on who they can buy. Bayern Munich the same. PSV, Monaco have both spent 60million (three times already this summer) with no signs of slowdown. Man City could be considered serious bidders post title win too.
On a marketing front other facts to consider are
6: Retrospectively the Ronaldo fee is considered a bargain. And payed for himself through marketing already. It should not be a cap, but a starting point for negotiations.
7: Despite the bluster Ronaldo is clearly not signing a new deal on terms Real can tolerate for a 28 year old who wants 100% of his own image rights and so Real are forced to sign his 'Brand replacement’ in their evangelising business model.
8: There is a one man list, as Zidane has alreadys said and they have already conceded that it will take a world record bid to get him.
9: Bale is more marketable than Ronaldo, as a less obnoxious playboy personality and family man.
10: Neymar will be rubbed in their face from now until the world cup which will egg them on to respond to Barcelona in the childish realpolitick underpinning Spanish sporting dynamics.
Over 4 years younger, not months mate