Peter Barnes knows how it feels to be loved - and hated - in the footballing hotbed of Manchester. That is why he is not convinced that Cristiano Ronaldo will ever trade the red of United for City's blue no matter what substantial riches are on offer at Eastlands. The purchase of City by the Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG), the private equity group led by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, has stunned the game with speculation in overdrive about the big names and big money.
While only the new owners know exactly how much will be available for new players and potential targets, their intentions have already been made clear by the £32.5million (Dh210.6m) British record signing of Robinho on transfer deadline day, and attempts, albeit unsuccessful, to lure Dimitar Berbatov, Mario Gomez, David Villa and Luis Fabiano to the club. Dr Sulaiman al Fahim, the public face of ADUG, has stated they have their sights on the world's best players, and that includes Ronaldo, the key figure for their arch-rivals.
Barnes, who was part of the last City side to taste success with the League Cup trophy in 1976 and then played for United 10 years later under Sir Alex Ferguson, says that would be one of the biggest transfers in football history if it happened - but it could cause the Portuguese star untold trouble. "Why should we give all that money to United," he laughs. "But seriously, it would be something unforgettable in football. Not only would we be talking about United selling their star player to their city rivals, but also for a world record fee. There's been talk of a £135m offer, but I can't see it.
"No one is worth that much and if Ronaldo was to leave, then I think he will still go to Spain and Real Madrid. He would get a lot of stick coming from United to City. I did, mainly from the City fans, when I went the other way and that was at a time when people mostly understood that, being a Manchester lad, I wanted to be back at home. "Now the rivalry is a lot worse, like a war. City hate United, and United hate everyone because everyone hates them. Would Ronaldo really want all that?
"Football has gone crazy with transfer fees, and, while he's a brilliant player, he is overpriced." Strengthening the team rather than just bringing in top individuals is something the City manager, Mark Hughes, has also been keen to highlight. He already has a solid base for his squad with some talented youngsters already making an impact in the first team. Barnes, who came through the ranks and made his debut for City at 17, winning a PFA Young Player of the Year Award, believes it is crucial for that successful youth policy to continue.
"I would love to see them sign some of the names mentioned, like Steven Gerrard, Cesc Fabregas or Kaka, but I also hope we don't become another Chelsea where we just buy all the best players and have a team of players bought in from outside," said Barnes, 51, who now combines match hospitality duties at Eastlands with his role as director of business development for land remediation experts, United Retek.
"To see a local lad come through and play for the first team is, deep down, what everyone would love to see. The fans cling on to someone like that, make them heroes, like Gerrard is at Liverpool. "We have seen Micah Richards, Michael Johnson, Stevie Ireland and Daniel Sturridge come into the first team and that's been great. There's so much potential. "We need to bring in quality and class, but also have the heart of the side which the local players can bring. That's been one of United's biggest strengths in recent years as they have had players coming through the ranks and added foreign or big money signings to them."
One thing is for sure, life is certainly going to be different at City from now on. No more living in the shadow of their trophy laden neighbours. A new era is set to unfold under ADUG, putting an end to the former Thailand prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's troubled year-long reign, which was soured by his political past. Barnes also believes the Brazilian Robinho, who will be unveiled on Saturday against Chelsea - the club he was poised to join - can warm the hearts of the City fans with his Samba skills.
"For 12 months the club have been under a cloud with Shinawatra, but this takeover has brought much-needed sunshine to them," added the former England international, who was one of the classic left wingers. "It's unbelievable and everyone is excited about what is going to happen in the future. To be able to compete against United, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal, and hopefully in Europe, well that's what City fans have been wanting for a long, long time.
"I grew up and then played in the successful period of the 1960s and 70s when Mike Summerbee, Francis Lee and Colin Bell were at the club. It was fantastic and those are the glory days everyone wants to see again. "The Abu Dhabi group have already brought Robinho to the club and that was just amazing; who expected that? Like those guys of the past, he can become a legend at City if he plays as well as everyone is hoping.
"He has the perfect stage to do it and I hope he can deliver the tricks, the skills and the goals. I played in Spain with Real Betis and the language barrier proved the biggest problem in settling; it will be the same for Robinho. "But for a forward like him, the message should be clear; attack and score goals. "Anyone with pace and flair, the world is your oyster. I wish I had started my career 25 years later because now there are not as many hard defenders and if they make a tackle they are worried about getting a yellow or red card. The advantage is with the attacker.
"I hope Robinho can justify his fee and help City compete at the top. This signing and the takeover will spice up the Premier League because it has been a bit monotonous over the past few years with the same top-four clubs challenging for the title. It has been a bit boring and we need more clubs to take them on. "City have just not been consistent enough, but are one of the best supported clubs, and that helps. The fans are loyal, even when the team were struggling, like Leeds and Newcastle. They need heroes and they deserve success."
@email:akhan@thenational.ae
