'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Very few players have had the good fortune to make a successful return to the club where they made their name in the first place. There have been a few when the emotions of the supporters, financial possibilities, have occasioned brief returns when the player is at the fag-end of his career like Thierry Henry’s brief loan spell at Arsenal.
But there have been very few Mark Hughes like returns, or an Ian Rush like homecoming when the player contributed to the success of a club in two genuine spells. As the transfer window enters its business end where the big signings will start to pour in, we have a look at some possibilities/impossibilities of some such homecomings.
Cristiano Ronaldo: Real Madrid to Manchester United
The most talked about of such homecomings this season. Cristiano Ronaldo has seen no slump in form, has not been shifted to the benches but it certainly has not been the dream move he hoped it would be as the Catalan giants and Messi keep spoiling his party. Add to that the troubled relationship he had with Jose Mourinho last season, and it seems that the Portuguese would keen on a return to Old Trafford.
He has voiced his unhappiness a number of times in his brief spell at the Bernabeu though that does not mean that a move is imminent. The status and skill that Ronaldo possesses makes him an invaluable asset for Madrid and a key player for their vision of the La Decima. Carlo Ancelotti’s reign is a new era. The chances that he will make a comeback to United at some stage are high at the moment but those odds are subject to change depending upon the next year that he spends at Madrid.
While Ronaldo will be a great asset to any side that he joins, he can definitely improve David Moyes’ chances of achieving instant success at Old Trafford. He is a player who creates and scores goals and the team can play around him. He can put daylight between United and their opponents.
While all that is the positive side of it, the deal with come with some drawbacks too. It would be too drastic a change at the club in too short a time. The expectations from Moyes in the first year must be modest, but that will definitely change with a £80m move for Cristiano Ronaldo. Manchester United are likely to hold on to their cash for another year or so.
Cesc Fabregas: Barcelona to Arsenal
Barcelona’s seduction of the Spanish midfielder during the transfer saga that unfurled over two seasons left a bitter aftertaste for Arsenal fans but they will be more than willing to welcome their former captain at the Emirates if the Catalan giants are convinced that he is surplus to their requirements. He has failed to break the dynamic duo of Xavi and Andres Iniesta at Barcelona and has lived two seasons on the margins.
Arsene Wenger has shown greater intent in this transfer window after they pipped North London rivals Tottenham to Champions League spot on the final day of last season. Arsenal performed remarkably well in the latter half of the season with a side that did not have one outstanding player but many significant contributors. They are now looking to bolster their side with goal-scoring options so that they can make a challenge for the title next season.
Fabregas would be an excellent addition to an already stellar midfield with the likes of Jack Wilshere, Santi Cazorla and Oxlade Chamberlain. But is he necessary? Certainly not. Arsenal have a first-option clause on the midfielder and so if he comes at a reasonable price, Wenger might not hesitate but it seems an unlikely deal given that Fabregas has emphasized upon his desire to make his spell at Nou Camp a success.
Xabi Alonso: Real Madrid to Liverpool
It’s a move that is highly unlikely but will be greatly appreciated by the Anfield faithful. Alonso’s career at Liverpool was cut short when he was sold by Rafael Benitez. Xabi Alonso has been explicit about the fact that he cherished his time at Liverpool and did not want to leave the club at all but he did not want to overrun his welcome either.
He has had a very successful spell at Real Madrid but had some trouble with his long-standing groin problem. His contract will expire in 2014 when he’ll be free to go wherever he wants and there are no signs of an extension of his contract at the moment.
There are a number of problems however that are likely to prevent his return to Liverpool. The first of these is that he will be courted by many clubs with the quality that he has. In fact, Mourinho might lure him to Chelsea at some point in this transfer window. Liverpool can do very well with the experience and capability of the defensive midfielder but at 31 years of age he does not fit the age-profile that Liverpool’s owners are looking for at the moment.
