Transfer Zone

Cristiano Ronaldo Can Join Real Madrid For €80M - Report

The Portuguese ace could be heading to the Bernabeu this summer if the Spanish club invoke a clause in their deal with Manchester United...

12-May-2009 6:05:43 PM

FA Cup: Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur (PA)

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FA Cup: Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur (PA)

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Real Madrid and Manchester United signed agreements last summer that the Spanish club could buy Cristiano Ronaldo after July 1 this year if they paid €80 million, according to a report.

Los Merengues have been linked with the Portuguese star for over a year and even without a permanent president in place, the rumours about him moving to the Bernabeu persist.

Disgraced supremo Ramon Calderon stated recently that a deal was in place and respected daily newspaper El Pais has now published details of what they believe is a binding contract.

Ronaldo could become the most expensive signing ever, despite the global recession, if Madrid take up their option to buy him after July 1 for a staggering €80m.

One clause that El Pais state could see United strongly object that the agreement should not have been leaked until May 31 and if it was then the deal could cancelled.

But that seems unlikely and Ronaldo has been accused of seeking to engineer a move away from Old Trafford with his petulant display when being substituted against Manchester City at the weekend.

Florentino Perez, who stepped down as Madrid president in 2006, is expected to win the forthcoming elections on June 15 at the Spanish club and he is known to want Ronaldo.

El Pais believe that the would-be leader has already held talks with the player's agent, Jorge Mendes, and is trying to broker a deal about how to pay the huge transfer fee in blocks over several years.

If Perez does not win, then it will be down to whoever does beat him to the hotseat to decide if they want to copy his planned return to the Galactico period with the mega-signing.

Iker Casillas stated this week that he feels Madrid should be focussing on building a team by buying the best Spanish players, like David Villa and David Silva, and combining them with youth teams products.

That does not seem to be on Perez's agenda and Ronaldo could now see the move that he stated last summer would be his dream, come true if United have signed the deal.

Sir Alex Ferguson was asked about such an agreement earlier in the campaign and ridiculed the idea of doing a deal "with that mob", as he described Real Madrid.

Lucas Brown, Goal.com

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