I WANT TO PLAY FOR REAL

Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 8:06 pm

Premier League - Ronaldo: I want to play for Real

Eurosport - Thu, 05 Jun 17:28:00 2008

Cristiano Ronaldo has said he wants to play for Real Madrid but admitted the move is contingent on Manchester United's willingness to sell him.

The 23-year-old has been the subject of constant transfer speculation linking him with a transfer to the Spanish giants and his latest statement will embolden Real.

"I would like to play for Real Madrid but only if it is true they are ready to pay what Manchester United ask of them," he told Brazilian website Terra.

"However, it does not depend on me."

United have been enraged by Real's pursuit of the Portuguese international, threatening to report them to FIFA for their public declarations of interest in Ronaldo and strategic leaks to Madrid newspapers Marca and As.

Manager Sir Alex Ferguson described the nine-times European Cup-winners as having no morals and even compared them to former fascist dictator General Francisco Franco.

If the transfer goes through, it will almost certainly be for a world record fee, breaking the £46.5 million Real paid for Zinedine Zidane in 2001.

United are throught to have already rejected a players-plus-cash offer valued at £80m.

Ronaldo, who scored 42 goals this season as Manchester United won a double of Premier and Champions Leagues, said he would not speak again about his future until after Euro 2008.

"From today I'm not going to talk about this topic with anyone at all," he said.

"I'll only talk about this again after the European Championship. Don't ask me any questions because I won't answer."
Alex Chick / Eurosport