Cristiano Ronaldo saga kicks off again

It's on again. It would've been a major surprise if it wasn't.

For those who, like yours truly, are mightily sick of the saga, the good news is that, one way or the other, we should get a long-term resolution this (northern) summer.

Ronaldo's current contract with United runs out in three years from now, which means he can, at this time next year, buy out the remaining two years of his contract and sign for any other club. That would leave United with around GBP 12m in the bank but without their star player come June 2010.

To shield themselves from that, United have two options this summer:
a) Sign Ronaldo to a new long-term contract
b) Sell him to Real Madrid for GBP 75m or thereabouts

As a United supporter, I'd prefer the first option because I reckon Ronaldo can still improve as a player. He's quicker than the Argentine marvel Lionel Messi, is much stronger in the air and packs a more powerful punch from long distance. Where Messi is better - and far better too! - is when it comes to the team-oriented things, such as spotting the killer pass and bringing others into play.

Potentially, Ronaldo can be a far better player than Messi. That's not as controversial as it sounds if you give it a bit of thought. It would be relatively easier for Ronaldo to improve on his shortcomings and get to Messi's level on the team-oriented aspects of the game. It would be much more difficult, if not virtually impossible, for Messi to turn into a speedster who could thump in forty-yarders or rise above defenders to head powerfully home.

Whether Ronaldo will ever become team-oriented is, of course, a different question. If Alex Ferguson hasn't been able to inculcate that into his game, I doubt that anyone else will.

Anyway, getting back to the crux of the matter, it would appear that whether or not Madrid get their man depends on one person - Ronaldo himself. He's the one who'll decide whether he'll sign a long-term contract at The Shrine (aka Old Trafford) or move on to sunnier climes.

From a United supporter's viewpoint, the sooner we get a resolution on the matter, the better for all concerned.