Ronaldo Wants to Remain at Old Trafford, Says His Sister

The saga of Cristiano Ronaldo's future took a fresh twist last night when the winger's sister claimed that he wants to stay at Manchester United despite interest from Real Madrid.

Ronaldo said last month that he was keen to leave Old Trafford and move to the Spanish club, provided they paid him and United the figures they were privately talking about, but the 23-year-old has since gone back on a promise to release a public statement on his future.

"Cristiano wants to keep playing at Manchester United," Ronaldo's sister, Elma Aveiro, told the Sun. "Real Madrid keep making very strong advances for him. There is a lot of speculation in the newspapers all the time about where he will go and what he is doing but we know who he really is and what he is really up to. He wants to stay at United."

If true, that would be a welcome boost for United, whose manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, is determined to hold on to a player who was a major factor in the club winning the Premier League and Champions League last season.