"£500 million would be cheap" - Michael Owen names exactly how much prime Cristiano Ronaldo would cost in transfer fees
Former Premier League great Michael Owen believes prime Cristiano Ronaldo would easily have cost over £500 million in transfer fees in present day. Speaking in an interview with Genting Casino (via Goal.com), Owen claimed that the Portuguese superstar would be the costliest footballer by a countrymile.
Referring to the current transfer record of £200 million that Paris Saint-Germain paid Barcelona to acquire Neymar in 2017, Owen claimed Ronaldo would surpass that figure with ease. He said:
"If you look at the transfer record now of over £200 million, you'd have to say Cristiano Ronaldo was worth more than that at Manchester United."
Owen then claimed that the Portuguese talisman could have easily cost more, adding:
"In hindsight, I think £500 million would be cheap. You could even double that if you look at the goals, trophies, the shirts, and how much clubs have benefited from having him there. How he's grown their brand, how he's won them trophies and made them all this money.
"I guess if you'd said to them at that point how much he would give you for nine seasons, they might say yes to a billion pounds, forget about £80 million. £500 million would be cheap."
Cristiano Ronaldo made 346 appearances for United during his time with them, scoring 145 goals and providing 64 assists. He moved to Real Madrid in 2009 for a then-world record £80 million fee. In just nine years, he became their all-time top scorer with 450 goals in 438 games, providing 131 assists as well.
Cristiano Ronaldo passes 1 billion followers on social media
In a feat never achieved before, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first individual on the globe to surpass 1 billion followers across his social media accounts. The Portuguese superstar even sent a message of gratitude to his supporters, calling his achievement 'more than just a number'.
In his post, Cristiano Ronaldo wrote:
"We've made history - 1 BILLION followers! This is more than just a number - it's a testament to our shared passion, drive, and love for the game and beyond.
"From the streets of Madeira to the biggest stages in the world, I've always played for my family and for you, and now 1 billion of us stand together.
"You've been with me every step of the way, through all the highs and the lows. This journey is our journey, and together, we've shown that there are no limits to what we can achieve.
"Thank you for believing in me, for your support, and for being part of my life. The best is yet to come, and we'll keep pushing, winning, and making history together."
Ronaldo has over 639 million followers on Instagram, over 170 million on Facebook and 113 million on X. He recently joined YouTube as well and his account is growing rapidly, with over 60 million subscribers already.