The proposed transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United to Real Madrid took yet another twist yesterday when Madrid midfield maestro Wesley Sneijder suggested that the signing might not be such a good move.
The reason he has questioned the wisdom of Real Madrid signing Cristiano Ronaldo is because of the effect his wages could potentially have on the squad.
Holland playmaker Sneijder, who had such an outstanding European Championships, is not denying the unquestionable ability possessed by Ronaldo, but is hinting that the huge wages the Portuguese winger would demand could be detrimental to the team spirit at the club.
In an interview with AS, Sneijder said;
“The truth is that could happen a bit. It would be bad for the squad if one player had a much higher salary than the rest. It would not matter to me, but I know that there are other players that would not like that. But I do not want to say much because every day there is different news. Cristiano is a great player with incredible quality and if he joins Madrid then he will be welcomed. We cannot comment on it now because to speak highly of him would be slightly disrespectful to the players that are already here and have shown their class. There are already similar players to him here, like Robben and Robinho. It is clear that he would be a useful acquisition, but also maintaining the stability within the squad is important. I do not think that Madrid need to sign anyone. In the final games of last season we were very solid and the team showed it has grown a lot. Maybe the only thing we do need is to sign a forward. This squad is strong and next term we will become even better. But I suppose that if you bring in a player with great quality it could be good for the team.”
Sneijder was also quick to come to the defence of his current team-mate, Robinho and suggested that he is as good as the man from Manchester United.
“I want Robinho to stay with Madrid because I think that he is almost the same as Cristiano Ronaldo. People criticise him a bit and say he does not play well in big games, but I have seen Ronaldo disappear in some of Manchester United’s big games. I am not criticising because I just want to point out that a player cannot be at the same level all year round.”
There is no doubt that this is a reference to Cristiano Ronaldo’s performances in the Champions League games against Barcelona where he did remain largely anonymous.
I have discussed on this site before the fact one player does not make a team and although Ronaldo is undeniably a great player and would almost certainly improve any team he played for, a team is eleven players and they must all be playing for each other as well as themselves.
Real Madrid must be absolutely certain that their a piece missing from their jigsaw that Ronaldo could fill. If not, they run the risk of going down the unsuccessful galactico path they went down two or three years ago.
If I was the Real Madrid manager or President I would take note of Wesley Sneijder’s words. To sign a great player is one thing, but to make a signing that unsettles the dressing room is a disaster waiting to happen.
Sneijder is truly a great player and a well respected figure at Madrid. His words should be sending warning shots across the bows of the management team at the Bernabau. If they do not take heed of those words, they could create a number of problems for the team.
Thierry Henry was supposed to be the dream signing for Barcelona. I appreciate that he is considerably older than Ronaldo but a worthwhile comparison can be drawn. At Arsenal, Henry was a figure of worship. He was regarded as one of the best players in the world. At Barcelona, he has been average at best. I’m not suggesting that Cristiano Ronaldo would be a failure at Real Madrid but sometimes players find a natural home.
Cristiano Ronaldo is loved by the Manchester United fans and by his team-mates. His manager regards him as the best player in the world and he has proved that his game is exceptionally well suited to the English Premier League. It is possible that a move to La Liga might be detrimental to his career and also detrimental to Real Madrid.
I honestly believe that it is in absolutely everybody’s best interests for Ronaldo to stay where he is for at least one more season.
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