5th June, 2013
Cristiano Ronaldo has put Manchester United on red alert by insisting he will not renew his contract with Real Madrid.
Newly re-elected Madrid President, Valentino Perez said only on Tuesday, that the Portuguese striker will retire at the Bernabeu.
But the refusal of Ronaldo to agree a new deal to take him beyond 2015, when he becomes a free agent, has now thrown the club into confusion.
Manchester United are convinced they can take advantage of uncertainty at Real Madrid to bring him back home to Old Trafford.
And they are prepared to offer £65million plus a player to land the superstar, 28, who is still a hero with the United faithful.
Real will not give up trying to keep him. But they have already made contingency plans to bring in Gareth Bale from Tottenham in a switch worth £80m.
They also know that they cannot afford to let Ronaldo’s contract run down and now would be the last chance to get big money back on him.
Ronaldo has put his house up for sale in Madrid and did not play in Real’s final game of the season after falling out with departing manager Jose Mourinho.
The player left United for Madrid in an £80m move in 2009. While he has won a Spanish title and the Copa Del Rey, he has not always been happy at the Bernabeu.
United have made contact with his representatives, and their sponsors, Nike are also in on the deal
United would make him their joint top earner with Wayne Rooney on £250,000 a week. While Paris Saint-Germain could top that, it is not just about the money for Ronaldo.