Ronaldo goes, the debt grows

By the start of 2010, ManU's debts had grown to more than £700 million and it looked as if much of what would otherwise have been Ferguson's transfer budget was being diverted by Glazers to pay their interest bill.
After ManU won the CL over Chelsea in Moscow 2008, Ferguson swears that they would keep Cristiano Ronaldo out of Real Madrid's clutches for at least two years and maybe a lot longer, which proved hopelessly optimistic. Within one year, a world record offer of £81 million had proved irresistible.
Now Ferguson's United, who used to break records as buyers, were sellers and Real, whom Gerguson had come to detest. appeared to be using them almost as a feeder club.