The Premiership Talk Friday Five: $1,000,000,000,000

By Brian Lofrumento | 5th September 2008

The Premiership Talk Friday Five: $1,000,000,000,000 | read this item

With this weekend being an international week, this edition of the Premiership Talk Friday Five takes one last glance at the world of transfers. Manchester City’s new ownership – valued at approximately $1 trillion – didn’t pull off as many transfer coups as they hoped, but Robinho could soon be joined by some of the world’s top talent in January. Premiership Talk breaks down five of their rumored targets and their supposed bid amounts.

Ronaldo 1. Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United). If Manchester City want to be the best club in the world, their number one target is obviously the best player in the world. Expect a bid of around £135 million, a price which will surely tempt United owner Malcolm Glazer. Do the American owners accept the offer, though? It’s tough to say. Cristiano Ronaldo is a player who is literally impossible to replace. Money can’t buy another Ronaldo, and any player targetted will also demand an enormous transfer fee. His marketing benefits also contribute to his value to United, and Sir Alex Ferguson will be hoping his side resist all offers for the Portuguese superstar.

2. Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United). In order to compete with their cross-town rivals, Manchester City raced United for Berbatov’s signature on deadline day. The Bulgarian chose the red half of Manchester, but City are hoping to tempt United in to selling in January. The rumored initial offer will be £60 million, an offer which I believe United should happily accept. This would represent an instant and huge profit of £30 million in just four months. Unlike Ronaldo, Berbatov is a player who can actually be replaced. Without a doubt, Sir Alex Ferguson would be just as happy paying for a younger player like Karim Benzema.

3. Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal). Every team needs a talented central midfielder, and City’s new owners have targetted Arsenal’s talisman Cesc Fabregas as their midfield stalwart. Like Berbatov, City are planning a £60 million bid for the player, a figure which will cause some controvery amongst Arsenal ranks. With the inflated transfer prices that City are introducing, Arsenal management will plead the case that Fabregas is worth more than half of what Ronaldo is worth. £60 million seems like an extremely generous bid now (a world record, and could surely get any player in the world), but if the cash is splashed in January then this may seem like a low bid. It’ll be an interesting decision for Arsenal’s owners as they debate about the 21 year old’s future and value.

Messi 4. Lionel Messi (Barcelona). The one player who could come close to replacing Cristiano Ronaldo’s spot in the limelight at Old Trafford is Lionel Messi, and Manchester City are interested in him, too. The blue side of Manchester is ready to bid £80 million to secure the services of the wonderkid from Argentina, and Messi could join the Man City revolution soon. He would be a perfect complement to Robinho, although a move appears unlikely at the moment. Barcelona would probably command a figure closer to that of Ronaldo’s, as Messi shares a similar playing style and ability level, while also being younger.

5. Fernando Torres (Liverpool). City’s fifth huge target is Fernando Torres of Liverpool. The Spaniard has proven himself in the English Premier League, and a bid of £70 million is in order. This move is not likely to go through, though, as it appears that Liverpool are about to undergo a takeover bid of their own. If DIC is indeed the club interested in purchasing the five-time European champions then money wouldn’t be an issue for the club – meaning no money in the world could tempt them into selling Fernando Torres. Either way, City’s interest in the striker shows that they mean business.

Kaka is also a reported target for the club, and AC Milan could find themselves with an £80 million check on their way in January.

Discuss City’s new ownership and much more at the Premiership Talk Forum!