Real Madrid Set to Contact Manchester United Over Cristiano Ronaldo

Real Madrid are poised to follow up the signing of Kaka with a world-record £75m bid for United's Portuguese star
Real Madrid's relentless pursuit of Cristiano Ronaldo will manifest itself in the Spanish club making their first official contact with Manchester United to propose a world-record £75m transfer.

Refusing to be put off by United's insistence that the player is not for sale, Real's president, Florentino Pérez, reiterated that he still wanted to bring Ronaldo to the Bernabéu despite the £59m signing of Kaka from Milan. Pérez has been encouraged by Ronaldo's representatives, who are intent on making the deal happen, and said he planned to speak to his counterpart at Old Trafford, David Gill, as well as the United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.

"Ronaldo is a great player who we would like to bring to the club but first we have to speak to Manchester United because the important thing is for us to maintain a good rapport with everyone," said Pérez. "Kaka is [just] the first signing. We are always thinking about great players. Cristiano Ronaldo [is] among the other great players around the world. I will do everything possible to get Ronaldo to Real Madrid."

Pérez went on to speak about his admiration for Zlatan Ibrahimovich, the Internazionale forward, but he distanced himself from reports that Liverpool's Xabi Alonso could also be signed. "He is a great player but he also plays in a big team and I haven't heard any news that they ­[Liverpool] plan to sell him."

Madrid also appear to have cooled their interest in Luis Antonio Valencia, leaving United in a strong position if they wish to follow up last week's approach for the Wigan Athletic attacker.

"The only official offer has been from Real Madrid last January," the player's agent, Diego Herrera, said last night. "I don't know about Pérez, the offer came from the previous president [Ramón Calderón] so I don't know if they are going to go for him again."

Valencia would favor a move to Old Trafford rather than Madrid and Herrera added: "I feel it is the right time for him to leave, now that the Wigan manager [Steve Bruce] has left. He has three more years on his contract but he feels it is time to move on."

Meanwhile, the Barcelona president, Joan Laporta, has criticised Real Madrid and accused his counterpart Pérez of "distorting" the transfer market, in reference to the Kaka signing and the pursuit of Ronaldo. "To pay these quantities is exorbitant," Laporta said. "It does not fit in with the reality of the market and it's too risky. It's distorting it."

Laporta says Real's massive spending power does not worry him following a spectacular season for Barcelona during which they lifted the treble of La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League. Barça have been linked to high-profile deals of their own but their president claims he will not be following their rivals' example. "We only have to make touch-ups," Laporta said. "I'm trebly calm."

© Guardian News & Media 2008
Published: 6/9/2009
 
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