A reason to celebrate or a major blow to the Reds' hopes of knocking Manchester United off their perch next season?
The news that United have accepted a world record bid of £80million from Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo has divided opinion among Liverpool fans.
Of course ex-United stars have been queuing up to hail the deal as a masterstroke.
Apparently, the champions no longer need a "petulant" and "egotistical" winger who had become too big for his boots.
Funny, because they didn't seem to mind those qualities when the Portuguese was banging them in from all angles and winning games almost single-handedly in recent seasons.
Anyway, the argument goes, selling Ronaldo has paved the way for Alex Ferguson to embark on a £100million summer spending spree to land Carlos Tevez, Lyon forward Karim Benzema, Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery and Wigan’s Antonio Valencia.
Pundits have likened the situation to the departure of David Beckham in 2003. After he went to Real Madrid, United blossomed but there is one crucial difference.
Beckham was 28 at the time and his best days were behind him,
Ronaldo is only 24 and yet to reach his peak.
Few neutrals will shed any tears about Ronaldo leaving the Premier League.
His play acting and histrionics made him public enemy number one at most grounds but his contribution to United's success cannot be overlooked.
In 2007/08 he scored 42 goals, topping the previous club record for a midfielder held by George Best, as United won the Premier League and the Champions League.
Inside the last seven months he has been crowned European Player of the Year and FIFA World Player of the Year.
This season he was United's top scorer again with 26 goals, taking his tally for United to 118 in 292 appearances.
Ferguson may have cash to splash but they are huge boots to try and fill.
And as United fans have found following the £30million spent on Dimitar Berbatov, big money signings don't always deliver.
Added to the mix is the fact that with United almost £700million in debt and having to shell out over £60million in annual interest payments, there are no guarantees Ferguson will get all that transfer money to spend.
The Glazers have insisted the decision to sell Ronaldo was taken solely by Ferguson but that's some turnaround by a man who last December declared he would not "sell that mob a virus”.
Of course Real Madrid's part in all this also has implications for Liverpool.
The election of new president Florentino Perez has ushered in a return to the 'galacticos' era.
And having shelled out £136million on Kaka and Ronaldo, his next target could be Xabi Alonso with Perez having already admitted he wants to take him to the Bernabeu.
Rafa Benitez has insisted the midfielder is not for sale but any offer upwards of £30million could force a rethink.
Benitez knows his greatest challenge this summer is not attracting star names but keeping his squad together.
Yes, the Reds boss doesn't have much cash to spend but as he admitted this week having come so close to glory this season he knows he just needs to add one or two new faces.
His best bits of business have already been done by getting Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Dirk Kuyt and Daniel Agger to agree new deals. Liverpool only need to take a small step forward if they are going to win the Premier League next season and the sale of Ronaldo could leave a gaping hole at Old Trafford that the Reds can take full advantage of.
The news that United have accepted a world record bid of £80million from Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo has divided opinion among Liverpool fans.
Of course ex-United stars have been queuing up to hail the deal as a masterstroke.
Apparently, the champions no longer need a "petulant" and "egotistical" winger who had become too big for his boots.
Funny, because they didn't seem to mind those qualities when the Portuguese was banging them in from all angles and winning games almost single-handedly in recent seasons.
Anyway, the argument goes, selling Ronaldo has paved the way for Alex Ferguson to embark on a £100million summer spending spree to land Carlos Tevez, Lyon forward Karim Benzema, Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery and Wigan’s Antonio Valencia.
Pundits have likened the situation to the departure of David Beckham in 2003. After he went to Real Madrid, United blossomed but there is one crucial difference.
Beckham was 28 at the time and his best days were behind him,
Ronaldo is only 24 and yet to reach his peak.
Few neutrals will shed any tears about Ronaldo leaving the Premier League.
His play acting and histrionics made him public enemy number one at most grounds but his contribution to United's success cannot be overlooked.
In 2007/08 he scored 42 goals, topping the previous club record for a midfielder held by George Best, as United won the Premier League and the Champions League.
Inside the last seven months he has been crowned European Player of the Year and FIFA World Player of the Year.
This season he was United's top scorer again with 26 goals, taking his tally for United to 118 in 292 appearances.
Ferguson may have cash to splash but they are huge boots to try and fill.
And as United fans have found following the £30million spent on Dimitar Berbatov, big money signings don't always deliver.
Added to the mix is the fact that with United almost £700million in debt and having to shell out over £60million in annual interest payments, there are no guarantees Ferguson will get all that transfer money to spend.
The Glazers have insisted the decision to sell Ronaldo was taken solely by Ferguson but that's some turnaround by a man who last December declared he would not "sell that mob a virus”.
Of course Real Madrid's part in all this also has implications for Liverpool.
The election of new president Florentino Perez has ushered in a return to the 'galacticos' era.
And having shelled out £136million on Kaka and Ronaldo, his next target could be Xabi Alonso with Perez having already admitted he wants to take him to the Bernabeu.
Rafa Benitez has insisted the midfielder is not for sale but any offer upwards of £30million could force a rethink.
Benitez knows his greatest challenge this summer is not attracting star names but keeping his squad together.
Yes, the Reds boss doesn't have much cash to spend but as he admitted this week having come so close to glory this season he knows he just needs to add one or two new faces.
His best bits of business have already been done by getting Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres, Dirk Kuyt and Daniel Agger to agree new deals. Liverpool only need to take a small step forward if they are going to win the Premier League next season and the sale of Ronaldo could leave a gaping hole at Old Trafford that the Reds can take full advantage of.
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