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Originally Posted by Plechazunga
They could make back the shortfall just by selling off a big star, so I think there would be footballing effect.
When Ronnie decides to make his move, it's going to be a black day for the football club but a good one for the owners of the Man United 'franchise'.
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To what extent is this actually true? A player like Ronaldo is a marketing dream, not only is he contributing to our success on the field, but he is also increasing United as a brand. Take Bekham as an example, his value to Real Madrid was alot more than his skills on the pitch:
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A month after the conclusion of Beckham's Real career, Forbes magazine reported that he had been the party primarily responsible for the team's huge increase in merchandise sales, a total reported to top $600 million US during Beckham's four years at the club.
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(a wikipedia summary of :
http://www.forbes.com/facesinthenews...acescan01.html)
If I remember correctly wasn't "David Beckham" one of the most recognised brands throughout the world? I've no doubt that Ronaldo can replicate this.
I know this kind of thinking is wrong, and we should look at players based on their skills on the pich. But the fact is Football is more than just a sport now. We just have to look at the removal of "Football Club" from our crest in 1998.