MY ACCOUNT
Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit will not be an issue for any potential Manchester United buyers, believes football finance expert Kieran Maguire.
The Portugal forward has departed the Red Devils by mutual consent following an disappointing homecoming spell with the Old Trafford outfit.
Having been the face of the club since his return last year, Ronaldo’s abrupt farewell – though likely in line with Erik ten Hag’s vision for the club – sees United lose one of their prior assets, as the Glazer family mull a sale.
But speaking to Stats Perform, Maguire does not feel his exit will be a stumbling block to future investors mulling a takeover, particularly from a commercial standpoint.
“[The] club’s bigger than the player,” he said. “Cristiano Ronaldo thought he was bigger than the club. His management teams was more concerned about his brand tie-up than Manchester United products.
“Success hasn’t existed at Manchester United for many years. If you’ve got Ronaldo on the back of your shirt, it simply means you’ve switched from having [Marcus] Rashford or [Bruno] Fernandes.”
“You’ve still going to be one Manchester United shirt [even without Ronaldo], you’re simply going to go and change a bit on the back of it.”
News that the Glazer family – long opposed by a large section of supporters – are selling the club has been welcomed with open arms by the fanbase.
Maguire believes it has been a prosperous ownership period for them, if not the club, and that he understands the frustration felt by those who follow United.
“I think we’re seeing an opportunity for some legacy owners to withdraw at a tidy profit,” he added. “They can leave on a significant multiple of the original investment.
“[But] when they acquired the club, they did commit it to financial jeopardy. [Also[, when a club is no longer successful, you look for scapegoats.
“The Glazers are a lightning rod. They’ve got not connection historically to Manchester. Their relationship was purely financial.
Maguire concedes on-field success would paint a different picture however, adding: “If Manchester United had won the Premier League for four years out of the last five… I’m not saying that fans are fickle, but fans are fickle.”
