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On the day the Premier League signed their £5.136 billion television deal, the talk at Manchester United was not, you may be disappointed to hear, about reducing ticket prices.
The power to take on Real Madrid. That is what the latest windfall means to United’s hierarchy. Gareth Bale, Cristiano Ronaldo, David de Gea, the future of Radamel Falcao. Getting Madrid’s tanks off the Old Trafford lawns. That is the game-changer here.
Manchester United believe they at last have the financial clout to go toe-to-toe against the giants of Spain. This summer, the battle begins.
The new £5bn Premier League TV deal will give Man United boss Louis van Gaal greater powers to choose whichever players he wants in the transfer market and take on Real Madrid for the prize assets
Radamel Falcao has not done enough so far to persuade Van Gaal to sign him permanently in the summer
Falcao's fate already seems to be sealed and he will return to parent club Monaco at the end of the season
First casualty, Falcao as a permanent addition to the United squad. The decision appears to have been made several weeks ago.
The Colombia striker will complete his loan deal until the end of the season and will then be released into the tender arms of Monaco and, quite possibly, another third party ownership group to be hawked around the biggest clubs in Europe.
Falcao is hoping to stay with United and may feel that injury has prevented him from showing his best form, but at £285,000 per week, and turning 30 in the middle of next season, it would be an expensive gamble for United to make any deal permanent.
It is not known whether recent knee surgery has permanently limited his powers, or whether a full pre-season programme would return him to previous heights.
Either way, United will be paying through the nose to find out and it is not a risk worth taking — particularly now the Premier League deal has introduced the possibility of other business.
Hopes were high when Van Gaal signed Falcao on transfer deadline day last September
But glorious moments, like this one against Everton at Old Trafford, have been in short supply
David Beckham swapped Manchester United for Real Madrid in the summer of 2003
Plainly, the grand plan requires Champions League football, but United feel that the new television contract, coupled with their powerful commercial arm, gives them the ability to overtake Real Madrid as the richest club in the world. At that moment, they will at last be able to resist raids on their staff — and perhaps mount a few of their own.
The traditional route is Manchester United to Real Madrid. It is not particularly well-trodden, but three major players have gone that way since 2003.
David Beckham was the first. It is widely believed that Sir Alex Ferguson wanted him out of the club, but the manager’s autobiography makes plain that Beckham’s decline as a United player coincided with rumours that Madrid were courting him.
Ruud van Nistelrooy had a clause in his contract stating he could leave for £35m if Madrid came in: Ferguson says he was never the same after that, and ultimately left for substantially less.
Then there was Ronaldo. Real Madrid was his dream club and United could not prevent his departure.
This season has brought an issue with De Gea. A few weeks back it looked as if Madrid held all the aces, with the player’s contract due to expire at the end of next season, enabling him to talk to continental clubs from January 2016.
Beckham receives a hero's welcome from thousands of Real Madrid fans at his official unveiling
Ruud van Nistelrooy is unveiled as a Real Madrid player after leaving Old Trafford in 2006
Now United will feel they have a better chance of keeping him. The attitude of his agent, Jorge Mendes, appears to be softening and if Madrid were preparing to outstrip United financially, that may no longer be possible.
De Gea has been United’s best player this season and it is unlikely they would have remained in the Champions League places with a lesser goalkeeper. United chief executive Ed Woodward may now be in the mood to recognise that.
Cristiano Ronaldo also moved from Manchester to Madrid, for a then-world record £80m in 2009
The Portuguese takes a glance at Real Madrid's trophy cabinet during his official Bernabeu unveiling
David de Gea has been in outstanding form for United this season, but is endlessly linked with Madrid
De Gea makes a save from Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero during the derby back in November
Of course, there will always be players unable to resist the mystique of Madrid, whatever the numbers, yet United are now better placed to rebound from such a blow. Suddenly, a summer move for Bale does not seem so fanciful.
It had been mentioned in the swirl around De Gea, but quickly dismissed. Even if losing Bale provided the way into De Gea’s transfer, why would Madrid entertain that? United cannot compete for Bale financially, the player does not want to leave and De Gea will be available on a free transfer at the end of next season, anyway. That has all changed.
Yes, United can compete financially. Certainly Bale will become increasingly disenchanted with Madrid if he is targeted by angry fans — and what if United secure De Gea’s future with a new contract? Then it is Madrid who might come under attack, stuck with an unhappy player and a hugely wealthy predatory rival offering him a way out.
Bale came in for criticism after Cristiano Ronaldo's now infamous reaction to his misplaced pass in last month's La Liga match with Espanyol
Bale has come in for criticism from the Bernabeu crowd in recent matches
Might they be able to turn Ronaldo’s head, too; or at least make some mischief by providing him with an option on the days he feels sad and unloved?
Deloitte’s list of the world’s richest clubs placed Real Madrid top with revenue of £406.1m and Manchester United in second place, with £382.9m. United overtook Barcelona and, without doubt, have Madrid next in their sights.
And while there are other leagues that matter more to the best footballers in the world, Deloitte’s speaks of commercial capacity. Putting prices down is a long way from United’s thinking at the moment: right now they are only looking up, up, up.
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