The great Cristiano Ronaldo transfer saga has stirred millions of words and some mind-boggling numbers. Real Madrid's president, Ramon Calderon, insisted yesterday his club "will never pay 100m euros for anybody", adding that "Manchester United do not want to sell".
The headline statistics of Ronaldo's five seasons at Old Trafford highlight why United are so determined to cling to the double Footballer of the Year and why Madrid so covet him (even if they refuse to give United twice what they handed Juventus for Zinedine Zidane in 2001). They also show he is a glittering comet still on the rise.
In 196 United starts (plus 43 sub appearances), Ronaldo found the net 92 times, a remarkable return, particularly for someone who spends a lot of time out wide. With 42 goals last term, including one in the Champions League final, Ronaldo is the most widely admired player on the planet, succeeding Kaka. He occasionally infuriates with his wounded thespian impression in front of referees (unlike the more dignified Brazilian), but the essence of Ronaldo is that he entertains and scores.
United want him to stay. "We can wrap the player in all the care and attention he deserves," said Sir Alex Ferguson's No?2, Carlos Queiroz, yesterday. Barcelona's Xavi argued that La Liga would "gain as a spectacle" if Ronaldo arrived. Another Spain international had a different take on the saga. "If Ronaldo left [United] it would be great," joked Liverpool's Alvaro Arbeloa. "I hope he goes. I hope they [Real] make an effort."
Madrid believe he is worth the effort. The breakdown of his 66 Premier League goals, from 163 appearances, banishes the "flat-track bully" allegation occasionally levelled at United's No?7. Of his four visits to Arsenal (Highbury and Emirates), he struck three times against a good defence.
But as Real may learn, Ronaldo remains a work in progress, albeit a magnificent work. Close inspection of his Premier League figures, provided by statistician John Russell, reveals notable blanks and modest returns at certain away grounds. He has never scored in four league visits to Goodison Park. Ditto Ewood Park. Ditto Anfield.
Amateur terrace psychologists might muse on whether Ronaldo felt cowed by the often venal atmosphere of Liverpool-United.
Yet the claim that Ronaldo is a "home boy" does not ring true, particularly when mention is made of his Arsenal record and those gutsy headers at Roma and then in front of the massed ranks of Chelsea supporters in Moscow.
But if Calderon thinks he is pursuing the finished product, he is in for a shock.
Real's president should examine the strange case of Ronaldo versus Chelsea. In the Premier League, Ronaldo has never scored in eight games against Chelsea, despite starting every season at home against them (although Ferguson started him only once at the Bridge with two outings from the bench).
There are two ways to combat Ronaldo when he starts out wide: either double up, as Germany's Bastian Schweinsteiger and Arne Friedrich did in Basle last week, or ensure your full-back is lightning quick, like Ashley Cole at Chelsea.
As Ronaldo tends to rove, so making planned reception committees redundant, a more general tactic is required: midfielders must stop him building up steam and defenders must anticipate his arrival. Chelsea's tendency to crowd midfield in a 4-5-1/4-3-3 formation can squeeze the space around Ronaldo. The awareness of defenders of the calibre of Ricardo Carvalho also helps.
Doubters will mention Ronaldo's missed penalty against Chelsea in the Moscow shoot-out, and more recently, wilting in the face of supreme German hunger and athleticism. To which, United fans might add that Nani came on and almost turned the game Portugal's way. If Ronaldo does leave, Nani could become a highly significant weapon.
The breakdown of Ronaldo's impressive-looking tally of 21 goals for Portugal is also interesting; only three came against truly substantial opponents (Greece and Holland at Euro 2004, and Czech Republic at the current Championships). Otherwise, many of Ronaldo's goals came against the likes of Luxembourg, Saudia Arabia and Iran and the middle-ranking orders of Estonia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Belgium. Again, it needs stressing that Ronaldo is a developing talent, only 23 years old, with another seven or eight years to shred completely the record books.
The escalating rate of his Premier League goalscoring reflects that. From 2003-04 to 07-08, his tallies rose as: 4, 5, 9, 17 and 31. Ronaldo could argue that he was maturing as a player, which is undeniably true, but that process was undoubtedly accelerated by Ferguson's shrewd and caring management.