Over the past couple years the rumors and talk about RSL trying to get Ruud van Nistelrooy as their DP has been an interesting topic but unlikely to happen.  With Ruud suffering injuries last year and this year being left on the bench form Real Madrid if in the main roster at all.  He has just one appearance this year for the team, so rumors started about him being loaned out or moved on a free transfer, as soon as the window opened.

The most frequent club mentioned was Tottenham, but espnsoccernet is reporting that the wages are too much for them to handle, and the dollar amount being mentioned is 100,000 pounds per week, or just over $160,000 a week.

Well it is clear why the move to RSL has never happened and probably won't anytime in the near future, unless some major concessions in salary are made.  So if we assume that he wouldn't be paid for the 2 month off season, that would mean he would still cost  over $6,000,000 a year.  Which is more than MLS is paying Beckham, now maybe just maybe RSL would be willing to pay say $2,000,000 a year, that is still a huge number.

If they could sell 2,500 more season tickets at an average price of $750 per ticket that would raise $1,875,000, but could they sell that many or is the number closer to 1,500?  That would still bring in $1,125,000 in revenue, then maybe they could sell 3,000 jerseys (and if they make $25 per jersey) which would raise $75,000, more TV exposure could generate a couple hundred thousand in revenue by increased ad value.  That still leaves a very large gap between costs and revenue and that would be if he were willing to come for 1/3 of his current EPL value.

I think it is easy to kill this rumor and to understand why few teams have signed the really big international names even with the DP rules.  Beckham has been a profit maker for LA off the field, still no hardware since he joined the team.  I think Ljungberg probably was a break even deal for Seattle, while New York probably lost money on Renyna, but have done well with Juan Pablo Angel.  

So will RSL get a DP, will Ruud come?  Not likely in either case.

OFF MY SOAPBOX