Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo hints at possible move

Ninja

MADRID, Spain — Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo has hinted he could leave the club once the season is over.

Ronaldo said this week he would consider his future after United plays Chelsea in the Champions League final - the club's final fixture of the season - in Moscow on May 21.

"I'm very happy here, but let's see what happens after the Champions League. I feel at home, this is my home. I've been here for five years and so I feel very happy here. But no one knows the future," he told Spanish TV station Antena 3.

"I have said a million times that I would like to play in Spain but one thing is to dream and another is for it to happen. I don't know the club. I'm not going to lie to you and I know other clubs like my style of play. It's very important for me but I'm very happy here."

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon had repeatedly stated his interest in signing the Portugal winger over recent months although conceding the move would be nearly impossible given the transfer fee that would be demanded by United, where he remains under contract for another four years.

The Spanish champion would almost certainly need to break the world's transfer record to sign the 23-year-old. The current record was set in 2001 when Madrid signed Zinedine Zidane from Juventus for US$65 million.

Madrid spokesman and general director, Miguel Angel Arroyo, said this week that the club could afford a large outlay on Ronaldo, and would even make money through increased marketing revenues.

Ronaldo, who joined United from Sporting Lisbon, has scored 41 league and cup goals for United this season, helping the Red Devils win the Premier League for the second straight season and reach its third final in Europe's top club competition.

Earlier this week, Ronaldo told United's TV channel MUTV that he was happy to stay at the club.

Source : The Canadian Press

Private Ryan

I dont think he will move out..

But i seriously hate Real for luring good players from good teams this way..and with Man UTd..they have taken away so many good players..

i just hate them..

Ninja

Yes I agree. Ferguson has made it clear in the past that Ronaldo is not for sale. He has worked really hard to groom him over the years, now i am sure he will not allow the transfer to happen even if it is for the record transfer fees given that Ronaldo has hit the purple patch and is in pinnacle of his career.

But i am really surprised that Ronaldo actually wants to move out of old trafford.

Private Ryan

ITs all about the money yaar...

Ppl dont care about loyalty n all..

they are only loyal for money..but Ronnie shud know what MU did for him..its where he became a star...its wot shot him to limelight..he has to STAY!!
Btw, RM has said tht if the deal goes down, it'll not be bcos of monetary reasons, but bcos of other complexities with the deal..and rst assured, fergie has said the he will not sell Ronnie even for a record price of $100 million...

Serves those spanish ba$tards right..

Btw, i just dont understand, why do ppl love to go n play in the hot n humid spain?

Englans is anyday a much better place to stay than spain..

xXx

RONNIE SHUDN'T LEAVE, PERIOD.

patch01

Originally Posted by Ninja

Yes I agree. Ferguson has made it clear in the past that Ronaldo is not for sale. He has worked really hard to groom him over the years, now i am sure he will not allow the transfer to happen even if it is for the record transfer fees given that Ronaldo has hit the purple patch and is in pinnacle of his career.

But i am really surprised that Ronaldo actually wants to move out of old trafford.

Money talks, players walk........... Look at Chelsea, they just forked out 33.5 million for Jose to leave FC Porto and now that CR is actually performing properly, he'll be looking for the green stuff and Madrid has plenty of that

Ninja

^ Well Ferguson is a very Shrewd customer. I don't think he will sell Ronaldo at any price. Just see what he did with beckham, he groomed him as a teenage football sensation and made sure he played his best football at OT, and only sold him when he was past his best (ofcourse for a good price). Same with Roy Keane and some other players. One would argue what about Ruud, but ferguson had made it clear that the main reason that he sold ruud was because his inability to score goals outside the box, and he was damn rite.

Ronaldo is still an appreciating asset and he and the Manchester United's bosses will be fools if they sold him at this stage. They clearly wanted him to stay at OT at thats why they signed him for next 4 years.

prongs

ronaldo is not oin anywhere well he shouldn't too
he has a 5 year deal with man utd.
moreover thouggh spain attracts him but england is the country where he achieved his cult status.

Ninja

The Spanish capital club are interested in bolstering their options with the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo, with Real Madrid's president, Ramón Calderón, seeming capable of just everthing to bring in the Portuguese ace.

Marca has played a key role in the story of Real Madrid's attempting to land the Manchester United star so far, and today is no different.

Thus it was that the paper had access to photos from a R8 model from Audi, Real Madrid's automobile partner, with a note saying the following taped to the window: "Deliver to Cristiano Ronaldo."

On this note, it was also printed that this delivery is related to Real Madrid, who signed a lucrative agreement with the German manufacturer in 2003.

The Manchester United player is currently at the Portuguese national squad's training ground in Viseu, having claimed earlier today that his dream is to play for Los Merengues.

No doubt his club bosses back at Old Trafford will be furious at this latest display in Madrid.

All u real madrid fans, see how desperate u poachers are

prongs

ok this one is frm espnstar.com

MANCHESTER- Manchester United have insisted they may report Real Madrid to FIFA over their public pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Premier League and European champions issued a statement this evening describing their "growing irritation" at continuing comments seemingly emerging from the Spanish club concerning their interest in the Portugal attacker.

The statement, released on their website, manutd.com, said: "Manchester United has watched with growing irritation the comments attributed to Real Madrid over their alleged desire to sign Cristiano Ronaldo.

"The facts are: the player is on a long-term contract and his registration is held by Manchester United; The player is not for sale.

"The club will have no alternative but to report Real Madrid to the world governing body, FIFA, if it continues to behave in this totally unacceptable fashion. These public attempts to unsettle the player are completely against the regulations and the club will not tolerate them any longer.

"In addition, the club is certain that they are a distraction for the Portuguese national squad as they prepare for the European Championships. No one should be in any doubt that Manchester United will do everything in its power to keep its best players."

Madrid coach Bernd Schuster confirmed Ronaldo is his club's number one summer transfer target.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has already voiced his dislike of Madrid touting for Ronaldo, pointing out their major domestic rivals, Barcelona, refrain from public expressions of admiration for other clubs' players.

That tactic has worked for Barca in securing the services of United defender Gerard Pique on a four-year contract on Tuesday.

But with any softly-softly approach for Ronaldo almost certain to meet with failure, Real have decided to come out all guns blazing.

And Schuster's latest comments seem to have prompted a curt response from United today.

Ferguson is sure to be infuriated by Schuster referring to the 23-year-old in a manner that would suggest the signing has virtually been completed.

"There are other players we have been looking at but everything has slowed down a little due to all this Cristiano Ronaldo business, seeing as he is the big priority for the club," said Schuster.

"The English way has been a perfect education for a player with such exceptional individual talent.

"There he has learned to enjoy his football as a complete professional. This means we would get a Cristiano who would arrive here with his lessons learned."

Given such a statement, Ferguson is probably glad he is due to embark on his annual summer holiday next week, thus avoiding what is sure to be a regular stream of stories linking Ronaldo with a move to Madrid.

For his part, the United boss is adamant Ronaldo neither wants to, nor will be, leaving Old Trafford this summer, claiming last week the acid test of the relationship between player and club will not be faced for another two years.

By that time, Ferguson expects his team to have added at least one more European Cup to a tally they took to three with their penalty shoot-out win over Chelsea in Moscow last week.

In addition, they could have overtaken Liverpool's record of 18 English championships; United moving to within one with their latest success, the 10th of Ferguson's 23-year stint as manager.

Not that Real are likely to be dissuaded by history.

Although they, like United, have won back-to-back titles, European success has remained frustratingly out of reach since 2002 for the nine-time winners, a record Schuster is determined to put right with Ronaldo leading the charge.

"Cristiano would help us in a lot of ways, without a doubt, but we can't stop with just him," he explained.

"He'll be expensive and we'll have to pay a lot of money, but we need more players because he won't be enough.

"For a few months now we have had a plan and we know what we want, but now Alexander Hleb has been added to that plan.

"We didn't know he would be able to leave Arsenal, but now it seems he will."

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger will be about as happy with Schuster as Ferguson but the German, who has impressed at Real since replacing England boss Fabio Capello at the end of last season, is not likely to be influenced by that.

He certainly does not see the man expected to be confirmed as the world's best player in December being a problem to his squad, no matter what massive price tag is attached and what attention he attracts. After all, this is the club that signed David Beckham.

"In this Madrid side, the kid wouldn't create any problems," he said.

"For the fans this signing would be an amazing explosion similar to what happened here when Beckham arrived.

"This isn't England, and that change will affect him. We have to be clever about this and sort this problem out for the kid."