So is Ronaldo coming back home next summer?

There is speculation that Cristiano Ronaldo will leave Madrid to return to Manchester United soon

What could be an ideal Christmas present for a Manchester United, apart from Liverpool being positioned below United in the Barclays Premier League table?

It would undoubtedly be the acquisition of Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid. However, pundits feel that this may not happen so soon, but will surely take place. Spanish football expert Guillem Balague reckons 'everything is in place' for CR7 to make a comeback at United. We put together 3 main reasons why this could happen in the coming transfer window(s):

Unhappy Ronaldo

1. Ronaldo is clearly unhappy at Real Madrid with the departure of his close peers Mesut Ozil to Arsenal (2013), Xabi Alonso to Bayern Munich (2014) and Angel di Maria (2014). Real Madrid's performance so far in the La Liga has been dismal  (placed 13th with only 1 win in 3 games) partly due to the exit of Xabi and di Maria. There is a sense of disbelief in Real Madrid's intent this season and Ronaldo certainly wouldn't like to play for a club on a decline. United on the other side is re-inventing itself and Ronaldo would be happy to be at a club where he belongs more. 

2. Manchester United have their finances in place and have regained their buying power. Who could how thought they would be able to sign 6 new players in the 2014 summer transfer window including the likes of Radamel Falcao, Angel di Maria and Ander Herrera. Gary Neville recently made a statement about how surprised and happy he was at United's recent signings "We sat here three or four months ago deliberating over whether Manchester United could attract world-class talent. They have absolutely smashed that question out of the water". He also said that the arrival of Falcao and di Maria has made it "more possible" for Ronaldo to now follow the suit. Manchester United spent a staggering £170m in the recent transfer window; crossing the rumoured £150m budget set by the Glazer family. United is definitely on a spending spree.

Happier times

3. Ronaldo wants to fulfil his dream of coming back and playing for Manchester United. CR7 was only aged 24 when he made a switch to Real Madrid. He was still a boy back then, full of ambitious dreams and had a lot to prove to the world. Five years later, breaking records after records and bagging around 15 accolades including the Fifa Ballon d'Or and UEFA Best Player in Europe award in 2014, CR7 has achieved almost everything he could have possibly desired. He has talked so much about missing Manchester and Old Trafford in the last 12-18 months that it is bluntly obvious that he now wants to come back home. 

OK, so what if this deal does go through - how much will the possession of Cristiano Ronaldo cost Manchester United?

Ronaldo was sold to Real Madrid for a record price of £80m (crossing the historic €100m mark). In 2013, he signed a lengthy 5 year contract which ties him to the current European champions till June, 2018. His current weekly salary is £300,000. If Ronaldo's club decides to sell him off next year, when he still will have 3 more years to play, there is seriously a good chance for Real Madrid to cash in. Experts are arguing anything between £50-£60m would be a bargain for Manchester United. As far as the wages go, it would be no less than £300,000 a week. Can Manchester United afford him is entirely a different question. They will surely have to get rid of a few under-performing players such as Anderson, Cleverley, Fellaini and Young. 

Clearly Real Madrid fans would absolutely agonise if Ronaldo is allowed to leave the club and there is no replacement lined up. Could that replacement be Radamel Falcao? Falcao has made his feelings about the Madrid club clear and would like a move despite his time at rivals Athletico Madrid. Falcao and Ronaldo share their agent in Jorge Mendes and maybe this was all planned in order to lure Ronaldo back by United? Falcao is currently on a loan deal at United with an option of a buy-out at the end of the season from Athletico Madrid. A swap of clubs for Falcao and Ronaldo would be a good negotiating tool for Manchester United.

The benefits Cristiano Ronaldo can bring to Manchester United are endless. His signing will easily sell a million t-shirts upon arrival at Old Trafford. Assuming a United t-shirt still costs around £50 next year, his arrival will generate £50million in merchandise sales itself. Ronaldo's presence may hinder the selection of young players like Adnan Januzaj and Jesse Lingard in the Playing XI, but then they will a huge opportunity to learn from the Portugese superstar. His signing will also undoubtedly increase United's global fan following.

So what Jersey number will Cristiano Ronaldo wear if he makes a move to the Red Manchester club?

What's your favourite Gary Neville Moment? (Poll)

Feel free to let us know if your answer is not on the list!

Fare thee Well Gary Neville

A leader, an obnoxious opponent, a True Red Devil, a Scouser hater, a BULLY, a-never-fear-anyone kinda guy, oh dear this can go forever. Gary Neville has served Manchester United for a good 20 years and just like Ryan Giggs has been a one-club-man.

Neville has played around 400 league games for Manchester United and scored 5 goals. The Bury born right-back is nothing less than a legend.

Now if you think about what he's won in his career, you'll be here on this page all day. To summarise, he's won 8 Premier League titles, 3 FA Cups, 2 Carling Cups (the then Football league cups) 1 UEFA, Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup. Personally speaking the following has been his moments with the club where he very lividly expresses his feelings about Liverpool FC:

Gary Neville's career has been ravaged by long-time injuries since 2006-07 season as he only played a single game next year and lesser and lesser games the following years until this season where he only started once. His match fitness has always been a concern and he expected to stay with the club no longer than June, 2010. That period however surpassed and it was a matter of days that Neville had retired. So it's not much of a surprise that Neville has retired from Club football after quitting International football 4 years ago in 2007. But what surprises me is he's retired with "immediate effect" which means from now on he will only be in Old Trafford as a mere spectator probably in one of those posche seats around Sir Alex. But he would certainly be missed in the dressing room where the boys had a good banter as Rio Ferdinand mentioned in his tribute tribute after the "finest" right-back in the premier league.

Let's remember Gary's rampant year of 1998-99, in which he won the UEFA Champions League and had the maximum amount of caps (54). He even scored one of his 5 goals in his United career in that year.

Let's also hope that Gary Neville takes up the role of Andy Gray and hopefully doesn't get sacked for talking too much banter about Liverpool in general; I'm sure he'd be tempted to! JOKES!







In an exclusive interview with MUTV, Nevile was asked "You could have played until the end of the season. Why stop mid-season?" 

Neville's answer: Sometimes you just go off gut instinct, it’s the type of person I am. I felt it was right. Having spoken with the manager, I’ll continue to go in until the end of the season but not in the capacity that I have been doing in the last 19 or 20 years. I’ll maybe work with some of the young players, but that will be until the end of the season. I played my last game against West Brom and came to the conclusion pretty quickly after that that I didn’t feel right and my time was up. I didn’t want to delay it for four months. In my mind, it just wouldn’t have felt right for me. I felt that, for the manager and the club and everything they have done for me, they should know that as well. They accepted it and supported me in my decision.

TheReDevilSpot team thanks Gary Neville for being a part of Manchester United and utterly respects you for hating Liverpool. Hope this remains.

Peace out.

Neville admits hating Liverpool

Neville showing the finger to Tevez

Gary Neville's public dislike of Manchester City has resurfaced as he made a candid admission of his "hatred" for Liverpool but also acknowledged that he has more respect for them than the club Sir Alex Ferguson derided as Manchester United's "noisy neighbours".

Neville was prominently involved in the hostilities between the two Manchester clubs last season, caught making a one-fingered sign towards Carlos Tevez as the City striker celebrated scoring against his former club in the Carling Cup semi-final. The former England defender was also given an official warning by the Football Association for the way he celebrated Michael Owen's stoppage-time winner in the league meeting at Old Trafford, running along the touchline to goad City's supporters.

His latest remarks are likely to go down badly at both Anfield and Eastlands, with Chelsea possibly implicated as well, but Neville has never hidden his feelings for United's rivals and did not shy away when asked whether it was true he hated Liverpool. "When I was younger there was no doubt about it," he said. "I was a United fan, they [Liverpool] were winning everything and it was a horrible time for my club, to be honest, through the 70s and 80s.

"I suppose it came from jealousy through my childhood – jealousy, hatred, passion for your own club. You don't want them [Liverpool] to win anything, and you don't like the people who are winning, just like I've seen in the last 15 or 16 years, from a good side, everybody is now 'we all hate Man United' – and they hate Man United because we are winning."

It was here that Neville made what can be taken only as a thinly-veiled reference to City, the biggest spenders in English football for the past two years.

"I have more respect for Liverpool, in a sense of their tradition and their history, than I do some of the other clubs that have come on the scene in the last few years, throwing a load of money at it." He then added pointedly: "They [Liverpool] have got a good history – you have to hand it to them – and they have been successful."

Neville's comments fall into line with a career in which he has frequently courted controversy but, by his own admission, is probably now in its final season. "Two years ago I thought it would be my last season. Last year I felt the same. I recognise this one could be as well. I am on a one-year contract. If I don't perform or the club don't want me anymore, I will be gone. That is life. In the 19 years I have been here, it has happened to better players."

Patrice Evra, the United left-back, has lost his appeal against the five-match ban imposed by the French football federation for his part in the World Cup players' mutiny against Raymond Domenech. Evra argued that it was unfair to single him out just because he was the captain but a hearing in Paris threw out his case.

Neville: Capello wrong to write off Beckham

Gary Neville says Fabio Capello was wrong to call time on David Beckham's England career.

Neville, Beckham's best pal when the two played together at Manchester United, said the former England skipper still had a role to play for his country, despite Capello saying he would not call him up again.
"I did find it odd that Capello made a statement about David Beckham being too old to play for England," said Neville. "It was a strange thing to say about someone as prominent as Becks before a match.
"Managers know that statements like that will create a furore, but he's not stupid, so I can't imagine he just said it off the cuff.
"Becks has been written off many times before and he's always come back to prove people wrong. I believe you should never rule anyone out of contention to play for their country because you don't know what can happen with injuries or form. Becks could be fit again in two months, playing the best football of his life."
Neville gave Capello credit for playing young players like Joe Hart, Jack Wilshere and Kieran Gibbs in last week's 2-1 win over Hungary at Wembley, and urged the England boss to stick with them for next month's opening Euro 2012 qualifier against Bulgaria.


"The introduction of young players in the second-half was good to see," said Neville. "The interesting thing will be if those players will be trusted to take England into the more serious qualifying games.
"We won't have wait long to find out, because next month's qualifiers will come round very quickly.
"Fabio Capello seems to have made a statement that he wants to introduce younger players and that's all well and good, but now he has to choose them in the games that matter.
"I thought England played quite well against Hungary in the friendly at Wembley last Wednesday.

"Some of the football and interplay was good in the first half and the system worked better. People were crying out for England to play 4-5-1 in the World Cup and we finally saw it in a friendly against Hungary when they probably could have got away with playing 4-4-2."

Wayne Rooney may be the Next United Captain once Gary Neville has retired

The Next United Captain?

Wayne Rooney, 24, is reportedly told to be the next captain of Manchester United once Neville retires at the end of this season.

Wayne Rooney has no experience as a captain at United. He has only featured once as a losing Captain against Brazil in a friendly International at Doha.

However, United manager Alex Ferguson, once said that he would prefer either a defender or a Midfielder as a United leader. It will be interesting to see how things shape up after Neville's exit from United.

Rooney has been a huge success since he was bought from Everton in 2002. He has scored whooping 112 goals (from all competitions) in his 261 named appearances. Of course nobody can beat that! But the question is: Will he be a successful captain at United?

Have your say through comments.....

Glory Glory Man United and Happy New Year to all....