Is Cristiano Ronaldo leaving Real Madrid?

Will Real Madrid let Ronaldo go?

Now, this is a tricky one.

Florentino Perez is a shrewd businessman and will surely evaluate the option of letting Ronaldo leave. He is 33 years old, the age by which most players have already declined. It’s only because Ronaldo is a physical specimen and has adapted his play that he continues to be so effective. But talks of his decline have been going on for a few years now and will only increase each passing year. And at some point, they will need to invest in Ronaldo’s heir.

This is also potentially the best time Perez can cash in on an aging player. Even at 33, Ronaldo has had a stellar season and carried Portugal on his shoulders in the World Cup as well. His exploits since the beginning of this year have been second to none. With Zidane’s departure and an increasingly aging squad, the team is in a re-build mode and now may be a good time to buy a younger replacement.

While Ronaldo has a preposterous release clause of ~1 billion Euros, Real Madrid will surely discount that to a realistic number if they are looking to make a deal. The selling fee would give them enough to buy a future Galactico.

And even at 33, Ronaldo will have many suitors. Marca reported that Juventus are the frontrunner; their quest for the Champions League will be boosted by bringing in the best ever player in the history of Champions League.

A swap deal with PSG is also a possibility. They are under pressure due to FFP restrictions. While they are clearly reluctant to let either Neymar or Mbappe leave, they may consider swapping one of them for Ronaldo plus some cash. Ronaldo will bring in the necessary leadership and experience, which PSG very clearly lacks. Both Neymar and Mbappe are hugely admired by the Real Madrid hierarchy and are considered to have the potential to fill in Ronaldo’s shoes.

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However, looking at the flip side, Ronaldo is still one of the two best players in the world, and possibly the more decisive of the two at the big stage. No other available player is at Ronaldo’s level yet, and Perez would be acutely aware of this fact.

Ronaldo is the face of Real Madrid, their global superstar. He is the one who draws maximum fans wherever Madrid goes. He is the one who sells most merchandise. He is their best player, one of the biggest reasons for their success in the last 5 years. Real Madrid struggled and toiled in the first half of last season, largely because Ronaldo was not in top form and could not bail them out. If they actually let him go, they currently don’t have visibility of who can match up to that goal count. Because quite simply, no one player can.

At Real Madrid, it’s also about pride. They want to have the best player in the world, and the only other player who can fit in that description is not leaving Barcelona anytime soon.

Apart from the above, Ronaldo is also a leader and a key inspirational figure in the Madrid dressing room. The squad looks up to him and draws confidence from his belief and leadership. Him leaving will have an impact on the dressing room as well.

To conclude, Ronaldo’s stand is clear. He wants to stay, but at reasonably improved terms, which is fair. But Real Madrid’s stand is unclear. And that will decide whether Cristiano Ronaldo stays at Real Madrid or will finally leave the club of his dreams after 9 glorious years.