EXCLUSIVE: This time it's for Real...Madrid confident they will capture Ronaldo from United in £75m world record deal
Real Madrid believe they will finally complete the record-breaking £75m transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United this summer.
Sportsmail understands that the Spanish giants are sure they have the foundations of a deal in place with the player and with the English and European champions.
United continue to deny that there is an agreement and are sticking to their very public stance that Ronaldo is not for sale.
However, it is also the case that a select group of European super agents are now convinced that United's resistance to the deal will finally be broken in the coming weeks and that the biggest transfer in English football history will finally take place at the end of the season.
Ronaldo has coveted a switch to the Bernabeu for more than 18 months and was only convinced to give life at Old Trafford another go after the personal intervention of manager Sir Alex Ferguson last summer.
But it was always likely that Madrid would come back for the World and European Player of the Year and at Real, at least, there is now cast iron confidence that Ronaldo will be the latest superstar to wear the all white of Spain's most famous cub.
Madrid's proposed deal includes a £75m transfer fee - to include a down-payment of more than £50m - and wages in excess of £200,000-a-week for Ronaldo. They believe this is now acceptable to United and to the player.
The news will disturb United fans but not surprise them.
Ronaldo has enjoyed a productive season at United since returning from an ankle problem which delayed his start to the campaign but he has not quite been the inspirational, all-conquering force he was when he led the team to the Premier League and Champions League double last season.
Just two weeks ago, Sportsmail revealed that there are increasing fears within Old Trafford that Ronaldo, who cost United £12m when signed from Sporting Lisbon in 2003, will bring his time in England to an end, due in part to the physical treatment dished out by Premier League defenders on a weekly basis.
But it has now emerged that Madrid were sure they had got their man weeks ago.
Back in December, for example, Real director Pedro Trapote gave a recorded but off-the-record interview to Spain's El Mundo newspaper, which subsequently became public. He said: 'If you are asking me what we are going to do now, then I would tell you that we have already signed the best player for the summer.
'It is Cristiano, there is no other. It is better that we do not say anything at the moment though.'
Ferguson reacted with typical venom at the time and stated that United would not 'sell a virus' to 'that mob'. However, it now appears Trapote may have been speaking with more confidence than was thought at the time.
Ronaldo is expected to be in the United team that faces Aston Villa at Old Trafford tomorrow and may even play up front with Carlos Tevez as an emergency striker as Dimitar Berbatov is injured and Wayne Rooney is suspended.
With rivals Liverpool playing at Fulham today, United could be two points behind the Merseysiders by the time they kick-off, looking to avoid the ignimony of recording three straight league defeats for the first time since 2001.
But Ferguson hinted last night that he believes his team's recent defeat at Fulham may turn out to be a good thing.
He said: 'There are a lot of young players in our dressing-room, so maybe it was a good time for us to get that defeat. It's a very appropriate thing that it is the Grand National this weekend.
'You go round those 30-odd fences, hit a fence, a horse falls in front of you, you get obstacles. Our championship is about obstacles but we are a point clear.
'All we have to do now is know we can trust these players and they can trust each other, they can look round that dressing room and say: "Yes I am glad I have got him in my team".
'With that ability and experience we have got of run-ins, we expect them to kick on.'
Hmmmm. It also illustrates the stupidity (I know that is a harsh word, but I am calling this one like I see it) of sports foamers who pay for the 'privelege' of funding these overpaid whiners. I love how many sports fans in daily life that I come across bitch and complain that so and so is overpaid, and that's not what it's about, but none of them are truly willing to put their money where their mouth is and boycott the sport, the team, the player. And by that I mean, not put another cent or shilling into either the merchandising end nor the playing end of a sporting team.
Hear me, sports fans? You may say you find their greed appalling, but you continue to stupidly line their pockets anytime you buy a team shirt or even a hat, to say nothing of actually attending the event.
You're the first response. There's no need to quote the original post.
- Skul
Seriously, what makes these asshats worth several MILLION pounds? They can kick a ball and whine about not getting paid enough (conveniently forgetting that they're driving around in cars from ten years in the future and living in gigantic mansions with robotic servants).
Football? It's only about money now. There's big bucks in 22 dickheads kicking around a ball in front of thousands of pathetic sheep who really don't know what proper entertainment is!
Here in Glasgow, sports and violence go hand in hand!
Best guestbook comment ever!:
I THINK ALL SPORTS ARE TOTAL RUBBISH. THEY SHOULD BE BANNED FROM TV. THEN ALL PEOPLE WHO TAKE PART IN THE SPORTS SHOULD BE PUT AGAINST A WALL AND SHOT AND KILLED.
Ach yes Polite24, ye can't stand yer beloved sports being slandered by a few people on the internet when there are many more people like you who DO like them. Which leads us to the big question - why the hell are you wasting your time here? Yer not gonna change any of oor opinions on sports no matter what ye say so I really don't know why you're bothering. Btw, for a sports fan you've done a disturbing amount of posts on these forums!... Wonder why...
Best guestbook comment ever!:
I THINK ALL SPORTS ARE TOTAL RUBBISH. THEY SHOULD BE BANNED FROM TV. THEN ALL PEOPLE WHO TAKE PART IN THE SPORTS SHOULD BE PUT AGAINST A WALL AND SHOT AND KILLED.
Has the world gone mad!!? They have now accepted £80m deal for him. How overpaid are they, what is even more patronising is that we are in an economic slump and clubs are paying funny money for a footballer! I sometimes wonder what is wrong with the world.
All major-league footballers are greedy bastards. I particularly hate Ronaldo who thinks he is entitled to nearly £600,000 a week for doing fuck-all apart from ponce around on a field with a ball once or twice a week. In the current economic climate, I find that outrageous. There's only one way I want to look at Ronaldo - down the barrel of a shotgun! He should NOT be paid that much. He's not worth it and he doesn't deserve it.
Best guestbook comment ever!:
I THINK ALL SPORTS ARE TOTAL RUBBISH. THEY SHOULD BE BANNED FROM TV. THEN ALL PEOPLE WHO TAKE PART IN THE SPORTS SHOULD BE PUT AGAINST A WALL AND SHOT AND KILLED.
