Cristiano Ronaldo Redux

So as you've heard the longest running transfer saga on record is over. Real Madrid, who have been like a hyperactive kid on a long road trip in the backseat of your car asking, "Are we there yet, are we there yet, are we there yet?", have finally gotten Manchester United's attention and sold the Madera showpony for 130 million simoleons. The player can finally wipe that year-long frown upside down, the merengues can finally admit to the world that they got their man (the always get their man), and Manchester United can run laughing back to the bank because they just made themselves over 80 million pounds profit on just the one player.

Still, like a bad spaghetti western that ends with the two leads unhitching their horses and riding off into the sunset, this saga may be finished but it's the town's people who are going to have to pick up the pieces. The first question, and it's a valid one, is whether the reigning World Player of the Year is worth this amount of money? The pat answer, and you'll hear it from pretty much everyone else is that no player is, but I contend that it's not a question whether or not he's worth 94 million pounds to Madrid but that he might actually be a bargain.

Real Madrid Castilla, the reserve team for Real Madrid that perpetually plays in the Spanish second division with no hope of ever promoting itself against the parent club, has been trying to mold one of their youth team prospects into a world class player at least since the last one came through the system; that was Iker Casillas over 10 years ago. It just highlights the difficulty a team faces in finding a Messi, an Aguero, a Torres and, unlike almost any other club in the world, Real Madrid don't have the luxury or the patience to wait around for a cantera prospect to develop into one. So, rather than build a perfect player, the answer is to buy one that's prefabricated.

Secondly, and this is key for a club that prides itself on leading the way internationally, with debts running into the half billion euro mark and profits plateauing, most clubs would cut costs and rescue what they could from a sinking ship (see Valencia), but Real Madrid are in an enviable position that few of even the old G-14 had: an international presence large enough to be essentially recession proof. What they have not had a face and a name to brand themselves with since Beckham left for Los Angeles, Old Ronaldo got fat and Zidane head-butted the Matrix. Enter Cristiano Ronaldo.

Now, don't confuse an economic windfall with a footballing windfall. Their success on the field is still not assured. They have not one but two Ballon D'or winners but they have even less in defense than they had last year. They still lack a consistent ballwinner (Lass is no Makelele), a creative midfielder to partner him with (Kaka is more support striker these days) and the treble winners Barcelona are going to get stronger. In the meantime the supporters have an illusion of strength if not the reality of it just yet.