REAL MADRID are locked in a battle to hijack Cristiano
Ronaldo on the cheap.
The European giants will take advantage of the FIFA
ruling enabling them to sign the Manchester United star in 2010 for
the remaining two years of his salary — around £10million. And that
puts pressure on United to complete new contract talks to keep
Ronaldo at the club until 2014 and increase his wage to £140,000 a
week.
Reports in Spain and Italy are indicating that both Real and
Milan will try to trigger the FIFA regulation to snap up the
Portuguese winger, who has emerged as the hottest property in the
world after his record-breaking season.
Real coach Bernd Schuster said this week that Ronaldo was in
their sights, though he admitted that he did not think United would
sell him at the moment.
But Schuster added: "In the short term I can not see it being
feasible, but I say that in a couple of years I think he may wear
the white shirt at the Bernabeu."
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson dismissed the Real coach's remarks
and added: "We get used to it. It's their way of tapping up a
player. Of course UEFA don't do anything. There is no point. We
just get on with it.
"Ronaldo loves it here. This is his place." Ronaldo has often
expressed his desire to one day play in Spanish football and
recently revealed he was worried that defenders in the Premier
League could cause him a career-threatening injury with their
brutal tactics.
Even Fergie admitted at the time that he would have his work cut
out to convince the player to stay at Old Trafford rather than move
to Europe where he would receive better protection from
referees.
