Comment: Ronaldo out, who comes in?

Who will be the new No.7 to rule the Theatre of Dreams when CR7 decides to finally make his 'dream' move to Real Madrid?

Assuming the charming and charismatic Portuguese flyer finally shuttles off to the Bernabau. Who will Sir Alex Ferguson bring in to replace the boy who he groomed into a superstar?

espnstar.com's Kelvin Leong gives his two cents worth advice to one of the greatest managers in the modern game. So listen up Fergie!

Lionel Messi - Barcelona & Argentina

Age: 21-years-old

With the whole mess over at Nou Camp with Pep Guardiola taking over the reigns from Frank Rijkaard and the constant bickering between board members, I reckon most players are unsettled and nervy over at the Catalan club.

A whole list of big names like Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o and Deco are all either on their way out or have left already. One name never brought up is that of Lionel Messi.

Blessed with lightning quick speed and a low center of gravity, Messi's style of play is similar to Ronaldo and he too likes to switch from left to right and drift just behind the chief striker.

One has to wonder if Messi is irritated by the negative vibes going around the place and he did fire a warning shot last week when he said he wanted Ronaldinho to stay.

If Ronaldinho does finally make that protracted move to AC Milan, the coffers at Old Trafford should swiftly test the waters by stating their interest in Messi to the media and see how he reacts. If he wants a move, I don't think there is a bigger and better club to fit his style than the Red Devils.

Diego Capel - Sevilla & Spain U21

Age: 20-years-old

Breaking into the first team after the unfortunate death of his teammate Antonio Puerta at Sevilla gave Diego Capel added pressure to deliver. 38 appearances and a three goal return in his first season isn't a bad achievement is it?

Mind you, he was thrown into the first team without warning.

Sevilla's former coach, Juande Ramos, had to throw Capel into the deep end of the water to replace the deceased Puerta but now we all know why Ramos was so calm and collected about not going out to purchase a more experienced replacement.

He knew he had a gem in the wings waiting to be unleashed like a hungry beast searching for food. Looking a little plump and heavy akin to another former United favourite, Andrei Kanchelskies, his main strength is the ability to have the ball glued to his feet. Never one to go for the normal pass, Capel just loves taking on a string of defenders and leaving them to rot as he glides past them like a hot knife through butter.

The beast has been much talked about as the season progressed and it will not be long before he makes himself a legend somewhere.

Will he be United's next legend in the making?

Lucho Gonzalez - FC Porto & Argentina

Age: 27-years-old

One thing Lucho has over my other nominees is experience. At 27 years of age, he has played at the highest level on a club and international level.

Not the fastest of dribblers, his languid style of dictating play from midfield will mean Ferguson can switch all four midfielders around without compromising quality of play. Interchanging positions is one of the biggest assets of the United formation and Lucho will fit in immediately.

Packing a thunderous shot on the run and an excellent free-kick taker, he will be another option in the all-encompassing attacking armoury in Fergie's red brigade.

With fellow compatriot Carlos ‘The Apache' Tevez already enjoying cult status down at Old Trafford, he'll not be too worried about settling in with the gang and getting into the groove. Just don't hang around Anderson and Nani who seem to have majors problems keeping their hands off the many women hovering around them.

David Silva - Valencia & Spain

Age: 22-years-old

Xavi might have won Player of the Tournament at Euro 2008 but for me, the one player who stood out amongst the magnificent Spanish side was the smallest player on the team. David Silva.

When Silva first broke onto the Valencia first team, everyone compared him to Mestella's prodigal son, Pablo Aimar. Both players have a knack of weaving through traffic with the ball stuck to their small feet and at the end of the run, deliver that killer cross or needle-eyed pass for their forwards to finish the job. Silva even had the guts to take over Aimar's classic No.21 jersey when the Argentina was booted out of the club. Shows you what the boy is made of.

A lot of talk on the backpages of the papers in the past month were about Chelsea wanting to add the diminutive winger to their ranks to provide that much needed creative spark. The Glazers will need to move in fast before he ends up with one of their much hated arch rivals. Maybe even down the road at Thaksin's tom yum City!

A different style to Ronaldo's wizadry but will prove to be just as exciting for fans and elusive for markers. Sounds like batman!

So yes, I reckon any one of these four footballing wizards will lessen the pain and anguish felt by United fans when their superstar decides to seek a divorce from the club that gave him everything he has today.

0 comments: