Fergie wont Roo Ronaldo departure

Mercifully, it seems a rerun of last summer's protracted will-he-wont-he saga of Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Madrid has been all but ended by the acceptance of an £80m bid from the Spanish club.

By following recently signed Kaka through the door at the Bernabeu, Ronaldo will be fulfilling his lifelong ambition to play in the gleaming white shirt of Real Madrid.

Losing the officially elected 'best player in the world' would seem to be a major blow for Sir Alex Ferguson. Ronaldo's goals have been instrumental in the last three years, particularly the 42 he scored in the 2007/08 league and European Cup winning season, as United have dominated the Premiership and collected more and more silverware to add to Fergie's already corpulent trophy haul.

This would not however be the first time Sir Alex has witnessed or manufactured the departure of a star asset in the summer sales. Eric Cantona unexpectedly retired in 1997 after 5 magical years with the club; Jaap Stam, the club's 1999 treble winning defensive rock, left in acrimonious circumstances following comments against the club in his autobiography; David Beckham was shipped out as soon as Ferguson felt his celebrity was becoming too big for the club; prolific Dutch striker Ruud Van Nistlerooy was sold to Madrid in 2006 after an alleged fight with Ronaldo and subsequent falling out with his team mates.

Each and every time Ferguson has lost a key player, he has been able to replace them in the end and build another succesful side. United have never been a one man team and it has always been their team work ethic and dynamism that has brought the trophies to Old Trafford.

In this instance Ferguson is even more prepared for this eventuality than usual, and for one player in particular, the departure of Ronaldo could be the catalyst he needs to acheive what he has promised for so long.

Since his arrival at Old Trafford in 2004, Wayne Rooney has shown in patches what he can do. It has been his versatility that has been his undoing. Consistently preferred as a left sided attacking option, his tireless work ethic has inhibited the growth of a career that was becoming meteoric. His performances for United in this unnatural role have been exceptional and has allowed Ronaldo the time, space and opportunity to reach his own potential. 

Rooney has many qualities; unselfish, a dogged battler, sublime vision, skill and an eye for goal. That it is his less creative qualities that Ferguson has enjoyed in his time at Old Trafford, has been down largely to the presence of Ronaldo in his team. With the Portuguese wingers departure imminent and Rooney proving at international level under Fabio Capello that his true and most devestating role in the team is as a central striker, Ferguson should now turn to his attention to getting the most out of the young England star.

With £80m in the kitty and a revitalised and hungry Rooney ready to take centre stage, next season, a World Cup season, could see United and Rooney get even better, and a large part of it will be thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo.