Will he leave?

The speculation that Cristiano Ronaldo will be leaving Manchester United has been going around the papers since Manchester United won England's Barclays Premier League last month. The speculation became more rife as Ronaldo himself refused to dismiss the rumours. At that time, he indicated that he was happy to be at Old Trafford, but hinted that he would love to play in Spain. He also said that he would be making his decisions after the European Champions League final which Manchester United won. Strangely enough, Ronaldo did not speak to any England-based papers; rather the alleged interviews with Ronaldo where he expressed his desire to play in Spain were carried out by Spanish and Brazilian papers. He currently has a contract with Manchester United which would see him at the club until 2012.

So should he leave?

No, because his departure would leave a big hole in the Manchester United, which is now shaping up to be one of the greatest Manchester United team; one which would rival the Treble-winning team of 1999 and one which is compared to the Busby Babes. There is no denying the contributions, that he made, especially in 2007-2008 season, were significant. To score 42 goals in a season is an achievement, but to score that number of goals for an outfield player is even an greater accomplishment. His presence alone is enough to shake even the most formidable defence. He could single-handedly liven up an otherwise dull match. His dribbling and ball control are sights for sore eyes. It is believed that Ronaldo is yet to reach his full potential, something that he would achieve by staying at Manchester United. It was widely acknowledged that Ronaldo owes it to Manchester United which plucked him from relative obscurity of Sporting Clube de Portugal in 2003.

Yes, because, if he continues to behave in this way, dropping hints that he wants to leave, he is getting too big for Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson has always said that there is no player bigger than Manchester United. In the past few years, some of the big name players left Manchester United as they fell out with Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United; famous ones were Jaap Stam, David Beckham, Ruud van Nistlerooy and Roy Keane (though it was not publicly acknowledged that it was the case for Roy Keane). Ronaldo has been courting controversy by his refusal to deny the transfer rumours and his failure to commit himself to Manchester United.

On Monday, Manchester United filed a formal complaint to FIFA on Real Madrid's conduct. Read about it here. Real Madrid alleged that Manchester United had no evidence that Real was trying to lure Cristiano Ronaldo away from United. Read about it here.

If he stays, it would be a great news. If he leaves, it would be a great loss; but not unfillable....