I Love Cash

The Sunday Times has an article on Tevez and a good round-up of possible replacements. Though in an effort to make his loss sound greater than it is the writer is led to saying some stupid stuff:

United now have more than £105m to spend, principally to cover the gap left by the depature of Ronaldo and Tevez. They leave a big gap, too. Sir Alex Ferguson operated last season with four front-rank strikers — Tevez, Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov. Now he’s down to two. For a team whose third consecutive Premier League title was widely credited to their having a more profound and varied squad than either Liverpool or Chelsea, United now look sparse up front. Between them, Ronaldo and Tevez scored more league goals last season than the combined efforts of Rooney and Berbatov — and that with Ronaldo injured for a significant period and Tevez complaining that he did “not feel part of the family”.

I like this tagging of Tevez onto Ronaldo coat tails. Ronaldo is certainly a loss, but Tevez? The very next paragraph gives the lie to this one:

Tevez scored just five goals in the Premier League, but was valued for his industry and his unselfishness. It can be assumed United reached their threshold in negotiations with MSI confident that they can find better value up front.

The Independent make the interesting point that even Tevez must have realised he wasn't good enough:

United's desperation to tie up the deal, which they had agreed to in principle a year ago but allowed to slip, was apparent in the revelation that Gill had offered Tevez and Joorabchian the £25m transfer plus a £110,000-a-week salary that would, in a five-year deal, put him alongside Rio Ferdinand among the club's highestpaid players.
That Tevez should have sacrificed all that shows he was unconvinced that he would be given a leading role at United next season – despite the impending departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid.

He's such a loss that he wouldn't have played a central part in the team next season...
So maybe Tevez didn't want to stay because he knew next season would be the same for him as last season, his owner/agent/whatever, prefers the narrative of the past, and us screwing him over:

Tevez wanted time to consider the offer, Joorabchian said, but when the club insisted on an immediate answer Tevez decided to walk away. “If it was, let’s say, Wayne Rooney’s contract finishing six months before, or Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract, would they have offered a better deal to them at that time or would they have tried to secure their services a bit sooner? He has that little bit of a feeling that maybe he wasn’t the most wanted person at United.
“United made a fantastic contribution to try to secure him with a last-ditch offer but it was a little bit too late and there wasn’t enough time for Carlos to think about it. Over two years there was a lot of talk about signing him but we never actually got to the point of receiving any offers. The United offer came about 10 days ago. It was the loan price of £9m plus the final option price of £25.5m. They made him a good contract but Carlos needed time.”

Ronaldo's just left the club, so why does he bring that into it? And then there's the disparity between the offer being made 10 days ago and Tevez, after ten days, wanting more time. And that's to stay where he is. Not to make an active decision, but a passive one. And it's not about money...
And so to Ronaldo who's given the first interview since the transfer became reality. The News of The World seems to have the most extensive coverage. With excerpts on Rooney/Man Utd/Sir Alex, going to Madrid and fans, and then the stupid headline grabbing story, shock, horror, Ronaldo decided to go last year:

"When did you know you would be going to Real Madrid?"

His reply will astonish United fans: "After we won the European Cup."

United's penalty shoot-out victory over Chelsea in Moscow was on May 21, 2008. Yet on May 24, 2009 - a year later - he insisted: "Manchester United is my home. Even when I say my heart is here people still make things up. But this is where I want to play."

Ronaldo told us: "After we won the European Cup I thought there is no more I can achieve here. And when you have done all you can, you know it is time for a new challenge. I stayed one more season and it was nice to make it three titles in a row but it was my dream to play for Madrid."

Now we didn't know that did we? There was no saga last summer about Ronaldo wanting to leave was there? Ronaldo never ever said he wanted to play for Real Madrid did he? This type of article is just plain daft, trying to find shock where there is none, it even quotes Ronaldo at the end saying:

"Anything that has not been right with the move is my fault and nothing to do with Real Madrid or Manchester United. I opened my mouth and that is what caused the problems between the two clubs who both acted in the correct way. Yes, I would have handled things differently and not been so public."

So in an article telling us what a shock it is that Ronaldo decided to go last year, we have Ronaldo telling us he was wrong to come out publicly as wanting to go last year. If you go down the road of faux-shock, at least don't put in the contradictory quotes. And as there's 2 more stories with quotes from Ronaldo, why didn't they put that quote in of the others?
The other stories contain some good quotes from Ronaldo, who says all the right things. I'll quote the best from the 2 stories - on Sir Alex:

He says: "I have said many times that it is the relationship a son has with a father. He respects me and I respect him and when one of us is talking, the other ones listens. It is not a one-sided relationship. We both hear each other out and that is why we have got on so well.

"He taught me everything about football and I have never met a man who is so passionate about the game after so many years.

"He instilled that passion into me and he made me a winner. The most important thing he taught me is that second place is not an option.

"He also taught me lots of things in order to make me a better person and people might not understand how much time he invest in players off the pitch. But he really does and he cares about each and everyone of us.

"In an ideal world. I would like him to be my life coach and for me to never leave him but that is not possible and I just have to continue my journey and hold on to what he has taught me."

On Rooney:

"Without a doubt, he can become the best player in the world. There are lots of players who are a delight to watch but how many make it look as easy as him?

"We had a great relationship and that is the sort of quality of player you want to be playing with. In training, he can volley a ball from 30 yards away and miss your head by one inch every time.

"It might not sound a big thing but that is how accurate he is all the time. He will be one of the world's best for many years. The natural talent is there but he cares as well and will never give up."

On Man United fans:

"I really could not have asked for any more from them. There were times when the whole of England was against me but they stood strong in their support and belief for me.

"While opposition fans' hate made me stronger, the love of the United support also made me stronger.

"I just want to say thank you for all their support. I will never forget them and I hope I have given them memories that will always be with them."

And on Man United:

"It would not feel right to play for anybody else in England apart from Manchester United. They have been my home for so long and it would feel like I was cheating if I played for anybody else."

He also tips us to win the league next year.
Onto the transfer rumours. Benzema is available if the money is silly, according to Lyon:

"Benzema is with us, but nobody knows what will happen. We didn't think Michael Essien would leave at the time, but when Chelsea arrived with the cheque . . .

"If Manchester United, who as we know have plenty of cash available, want to buy Benzema, then what can you do?"

What that figure is though is open to speculation, the above story says:

Lyon have admitted that a £25m offer would be enough to tempt them.

Which, given the quote they didn't. But I like that figure more than The People's figure:

The French club suggested a £40million bid for the striker, 21, would be accepted. It would be some compensation for United after the bitter pill of losing Tevez.

The Times suggests Ribery may be available for a figure less than the previously reported figures, but warns about the Madrid factor:

Ribery has pace, clever ball control, imagination and courage. Like Benzema, he would be raising the level of his week-in, week-out game by coming to England, but he is keen to move on somewhere, although the destination may well be Spain. Bayern will sell Ribery if the price exceeds £40m but the question they want to hear being asked around United, Chelsea and Barcelona is whether, or when, Real Madrid will gazump their best offer.

The Daily Star say we want Eto'o. The People say we don't want to pay his demands:

Manchester United's bid to land Samuel Eto'o could fall apart with the player demanding a staggering £12.5million signing-on fee.

The Barcelona star (above) wants to cash in on any move away from the Nou Camp, with his contract having only one year left to run and the transfer fee at £22million.

But the huge golden handshake could easily dissuade United.

The People also link us with Everton's Jack Rodwell:

Manchester United are targeting Everton and England Under-21 star Jack Rodwell.

United scouts have kept a close eye on Rodwell, and boss Sir Alex Ferguson has received glowing reports about the versatile 18-yearold, who is on duty with Stuart Pearce's squad at the European U21 Championship in Sweden.

With FIFA keen to pursue the '6+5 rule' - at the start of each league match, clubs must field at least six players eligible to represent the national team of the country in which the league is based - Fergie wants to maintain a core of English players at Old Trafford.

Sensing Rodwell's huge potential, Everton moved quickly to upgrade his contract and the teenager recently signed a five-year deal.

That will not deter Ferguson - just as it didn't put him off clinching a £27million deal to capture Wayne Rooney from Goodison five years ago.

And with cash-strapped Everton still vulnerable to attractive offers for their stars, the Southport-born youngster has emerged as a serious United target.

Vidic's going to get a pay rise according to the News of The World:

The player is contracted until 2012 and currently earns around £50,000 a week.

United will move quickly so that Vidic, 27, joins the likes of Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov on around £75,000 a week.

A United insider said: "The club recognise Nemanja's current standing within the team and want to put him further off limits."

Inter want Macheda so say The People:

Alex Ferguson faces a summer battle with Jose Mourinho over the future of teenage star Federico Macheda.

Inter Milan boss Mourinho is ready to rock old rival Ferguson with a sensational raid on Old Trafford to capture the 17-year-old Italian attacker, nicknamed Kiko.

Friends close to Macheda's family already believe that the Rome-born youngster will move back to Italy in the next few weeks.

The Daily Star tell us Hargreaves is on course for a return:

It was reported the England midfielder would not be back in action until January after knee surgery last November.

But Hargreaves will report with the rest of the United squad next month and announce he is ready to return in October.

And The Sunday Mirror report that Paul Scholes won some money on the horses...