Ronaldo £135 million ???

[45GoneShort]

The new owner of Manchester City, Dr Sulaiman Al-Fahim, has intimated that Abu Dhabi United Group for Development and Investment (ADUG) could back a £135million bid for Manchester United winger Cristiano Ronaldo in January.

The agreement of an ADUG takeover deal at Eastlands was announced on Monday and was followed by the shock capture of Real Madrid forward Robinho for a British record fee of £32.5million.

Chief executive of Hydra Properties, Al-Fahim is reportedly 10 times richer than his counterpart at Chelsea, Roman Abramovich, and he has revealed there are plans to bring in a 'minimum 18' players to the club.

"Ronaldo has said he wants to play for the biggest club in the world, so we will see in January if he is serious," Al-Fahim said in The Guardian.

"Real Madrid were estimating his value at $160million (£90m) but for a player like that, to actually get him, will cost a lot more; I would think $240million (£135m). But why not? We are going to be the biggest club in the world, bigger than both Real Madrid and Manchester United."

It is also reported City will look to target the likes of Liverpool striker Fernando Torres and Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas as the club aim to build a side capable of achieving success in Europe's most prestigious competition.

Al-Fahim added: "We want a team who can win the UEFA Champions League. We're not just going to spend money on anyone, but if we can get the biggest players in the world, and of course if the manager wants them, then we will get them."

source: Sky Sports

Is this the end of football, i thought the introduction of Abramovich was bad but this crowd look like they will just take over at any cost.  I wonder are they interested in investing in Leitrim football with a few Kerry forwards!!

[ExiledGael]

Deluded bastards. The man thinks he's playing Championship manager.


Manchester City's new billionaire owners are planning a world-record £135m bid for Cristiano Ronaldo in the January transfer window before turning their sights to, among others, Fernando Torres of Liverpool and Cesc Fábregas of Arsenal. "Ronaldo has said he wants to play for the biggest club in the world, so we will see in January if he is serious," said Dr Sulaiman Al-Fahim, of the Abu Dhabi United Group.

Al-Fahim also re-iterated that he would investigate the potential availability of the former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry, Valencia's David Villa and the former Brazil international Ronaldo to join Robinho in a "dream team" that would be able to challenge for the Champions League within two or three years.

However, he identified United's Ronaldo as the biggest challenge for the billionaire tycoons, backed by members of the United Arab Emirates royal family, who have taken control of the club from Thaksin Shinawatra. "Real Madrid were estimating his value at $160m (£90m) but for a player like that, to actually get him, will cost a lot more; I would think $240m (£135m). But why not? We are going to be the biggest club in the world, bigger than both Real Madrid and Manchester United."

In all probability, City's chances of persuading Ronaldo to forget about moving to Real Madrid and decide instead to swap Old Trafford for Eastlands - or 'Middle Eastlands', as some City fans have started referring to it - are, at best, miniscule. Yet City's remarkable signing of Robinho from Real Madrid, for a British record £32.5m, just before Sunday's transfer deadline has already sent shockwaves through the sport, and Al-Fahim insisted the club would be willing to pay United three times the world transfer record, set in 2001 when Zinedine Zidane moved from Juventus to Real Madrid. "We want a team who can win the Champions League," he added.

Al-Fahim also confirmed that Torres and Fábregas were among his targets as City look to bring in a "minimum 18" players. "We're not just going to spend money on anyone, but if we can get the biggest players in the world, and of course if the manager wants them, then we will get them," he said.

[Arthur]

Some tossers in this world £135 million for one player - bet United will be creaming themselves, wonder how many Man City fans will appear if they become a force with all this money. 

[J70]

Chelsea have proven that the players will come if the money is there. If this guy is willing to spend these types of sums, there is no reason why City can't emulate what Chelsea did, assuming, in the short term, that Mark Hughes is up to the task.

What will all of this mean for Liverpool and Arsenal?

[ExiledGael]

Chelsea have proven that the players will come if the money is there.

I think the London factor has at least something to do with that.

[Bensars]

Forget London, this guy is worth 3 Trillion.

£ 3,000,000,000,000,000,000 

[Arthur]

Good to see him put it to good use. 

[magickingdom]

sooner or later some cop on has to come into play here, clubs like utd and chelsea hocked up to their eyes in debt are not sustainable in the long term (and before anyone says chelsea have no debt yes they have its called abramovich). uefa are right to consider banning clubs with unsustainable debt from the champions league. it ruins competition and has the premiership the bore it is..

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

You gotta think that Mark Hughes will be expecting his P45 shortly.
Whats the bets that Robiniho ends up like another Shevchenko (sp) playing against the likes of Hull on a bitterly cold Winters evening is not that easy to get used to for these South American/Contenential types. Fcuk my spelling has gone to pot this evening. 

[J70]

sooner or later some cop on has to come into play here, clubs like utd and chelsea hocked up to their eyes in debt are not sustainable in the long term (and before anyone says chelsea have no debt yes they have its called abramovich). uefa are right to consider banning clubs with unsustainable debt from the champions league. it ruins competition and has the premiership the bore it is..

But Abramovich owns the club, so its not like the club are scrambling around to pay off bank loans and on the verge of going out of business, is it? Or am I hopelessly clueless about these types of issues? Now Liverpool, on the other hand...

[rosnarun]

Roman has only loaned the money to chelsea . in other words if he has mortgaged the club himself just like Manure or Liverpool havedone and WHEN he wants out nomatter how bad things are hell get his money back. the guy aint stupid.
the UAE crowd could be different they seem to be trying to use it as a promotioal tool for the mighty oil state.

CITY TILL  I DIE
Go those green back blues

[Hound]

Roman has only loaned the money to chelsea . in other words if he has mortgaged the club himself just like Manure or Liverpool havedone and WHEN he wants out nomatter how bad things are hell get his money back. the guy aint stupid.
the UAE crowd could be different they seem to be trying to use it as a promotioal tool for the mighty oil state.

Within the last 12 months Chelsea repaid the last of their bank loans, so they pay no interest. So that's a big advantage they have over ManU, Liverpool and Arsenal.

However, as you say, Abramovich loans them money rather than gives them money. At the moment Chelsea owe him £600 million. Apparently its structured in such a way that if he wants it back he has to give 18 months notice. Some people think if he walks away he'll just forgive the loan as its still just a drop in the ocean for him, but I'd say that'd be very optimistic. 

It looks like the Abu Dhabi guys will operate in a similar manner. Certainly they have loaned City the money to buy Robinho.

[orangeman]

You gotta think that Mark Hughes will be expecting his P45 shortly.
Whats the bets that Robiniho ends up like another Shevchenko (sp) playing against the likes of Hull on a bitterly cold Winters evening is not that easy to get used to for these South American/Contenential types. Fcuk my spelling has gone to pot this evening. 

He'll not get to Christmas !

[scud]

I must say I find it amusing to see how fans jump for joy when a sugar daddy comes along, for it all to turn sour and usually pretty quickly!!

West Ham, -  ah rich biscuit barons, great! Now - purse strings tightened, bastards!
Man City - probable criminal & human rights abuser, but he's rich, wey hey!
Liverpool - rich yankees, $$$ : )... now, absolute anti-christs

These investors come along and flash the cash at the start, saying how much they love the club blah blah... and try to make fans forget what the word investment actually means - they're all looking for a healthy return. Hence the great sheik's talk of marketing techniques and global brands etc

For me Arsene Wenger is one of the few islands of sanity left in the prem

[Arthur]

I must say I find it amusing to see how fans jump for joy when a sugar daddy comes along, for it all to turn sour and usually pretty quickly!!

West Ham, -  ah rich biscuit barons, great! Now - purse strings tightened, b**tards!
Man City - probable criminal & human rights abuser, but he's rich, wey hey!
Liverpool - rich yankees, $$$ : )... now, absolute anti-christs

These investors come along and flash the cash at the start, saying how much they love the club blah blah... and try to make fans forget what the word investment actually means - they're all looking for a healthy return. Hence the great sheik's talk of marketing techniques and global brands etc

For me Arsene Wenger is one of the few islands of sanity left in the prem

Is there any sanity left - how anyone can be paid £100,000 a week for kicking a ball is beyond me - the emperor's clothes of sport, and everyone has bought into it, Sky, Setanta and all the clubs must be credited with the greatest marketing ploy off all time.  Pay a fortune to watch English Clubs full of foreign players play out 0-0 and 1-0 matches over 90 minutes, magic stuff altogether!!!!