Madrid tell Rinaldo,manutd move not happening.
The Liga side have refused to discuss the
possibility of the 29-year-old returning to Old
Trafford next summer, while the player is not willing
to give up Champions League football
By Duncan Castles
Real Madrid have made it clear to Cristiano Ronaldo that
they have no intention of allowing him to return to
Manchester United this summer.
New Old Trafford manager Louis van Gaal publicly stated
an interest in signing the 29-year-old last week, but the
Champions League holders have ruled out the possibility of
Ronaldo leaving the Bernabeu at the end of the season and
have refused to discuss a price for the forward.
Ronaldo, who has endured an ambivalent relationship with
Madrid despite record breaking achievements in his five
years there, has regularly expressed his “love” for United,
encouraging hope of an Old Trafford return.
Extensive efforts were made to put together a deal to re-
sign the forward in 2013 before his contract renewal with
Madrid and the subject has been floated again this year,
with United having already spent an unprecedented sum of
over €257 million on transfer fees alone.
Any deal for Ronaldo would require a further record spend.
Madrid paid United €102m for him in 2009 and consider the
forward so valuable - both as a player and a generator of
commercial revenue - that they have refused to even
discuss a fee for the 29-year-old. The five-season contract
agreed with Ronaldo last September re-established him as
the game's best-paid individual on a guaranteed €21m
(£16.4m) a year, after tax.
It has been suggested that Ronaldo would accept a cut on
his basic pay to facilitate a return to United. The player,
however, regards his status as football's top earner as a
badge of honour. At current exchange and tax rates, just
matching his current terms would require United to fund a
gross weekly wage of £760,000 before bonuses.
Madrid's refusal to sell and Ronaldo's financial terms are
not the only factors working against United. The club's
worst ever start to a Premier League season coupled with
Van Gaal's concession that his ideas are “maybe too much”
for his new charges at present have increased the possibilit
of the club missing out on Champions League participation
and revenue for a second consecutive season.
Twice a winner of the competition and its leading scorer for
the last two campaigns, the idea of giving up Champions
League football has no appeal to Ronaldo.
Earlier this year, United warned investors that a failure to
return to the Champions League “would negatively affect
our ability to attract and retain talented players and
coaching staff, as well as supporters, sponsors and other
commercial partners”.
The club has forecast an overall revenue drop of between
€48.9m and €61.7m for the coming financial year, based
on a third-placed finish this season. Income from a record
€97m-a-year kit deal with Adidas will automatically fall to
€67.2m in the event of a second season away from
Europe's top competition.
United's decision to switch kit suppliers from Nike to Adidas
has also complicated their approach to Ronaldo, whose
personal sponsorship deal remains with the American
company. No player in football has greater commercial
potential than Ronaldo. With 30.1m Twitter followers and
98.8m on Facebook his social media reach comfortably
exceeds that of both United and Madrid, a point not lost on
his current employer.
"It's all speculation, speaking about my future,” said
Ronaldo last week. “My future is Madrid. I'm happy. The
season is going well and I'm not talking about my future, it
doesn't make sense."
possibility of the 29-year-old returning to Old
Trafford next summer, while the player is not willing
to give up Champions League football
By Duncan Castles
Real Madrid have made it clear to Cristiano Ronaldo that
they have no intention of allowing him to return to
Manchester United this summer.
New Old Trafford manager Louis van Gaal publicly stated
an interest in signing the 29-year-old last week, but the
Champions League holders have ruled out the possibility of
Ronaldo leaving the Bernabeu at the end of the season and
have refused to discuss a price for the forward.
Ronaldo, who has endured an ambivalent relationship with
Madrid despite record breaking achievements in his five
years there, has regularly expressed his “love” for United,
encouraging hope of an Old Trafford return.
Extensive efforts were made to put together a deal to re-
sign the forward in 2013 before his contract renewal with
Madrid and the subject has been floated again this year,
with United having already spent an unprecedented sum of
over €257 million on transfer fees alone.
Any deal for Ronaldo would require a further record spend.
Madrid paid United €102m for him in 2009 and consider the
forward so valuable - both as a player and a generator of
commercial revenue - that they have refused to even
discuss a fee for the 29-year-old. The five-season contract
agreed with Ronaldo last September re-established him as
the game's best-paid individual on a guaranteed €21m
(£16.4m) a year, after tax.
It has been suggested that Ronaldo would accept a cut on
his basic pay to facilitate a return to United. The player,
however, regards his status as football's top earner as a
badge of honour. At current exchange and tax rates, just
matching his current terms would require United to fund a
gross weekly wage of £760,000 before bonuses.
Madrid's refusal to sell and Ronaldo's financial terms are
not the only factors working against United. The club's
worst ever start to a Premier League season coupled with
Van Gaal's concession that his ideas are “maybe too much”
for his new charges at present have increased the possibilit
of the club missing out on Champions League participation
and revenue for a second consecutive season.
Twice a winner of the competition and its leading scorer for
the last two campaigns, the idea of giving up Champions
League football has no appeal to Ronaldo.
Earlier this year, United warned investors that a failure to
return to the Champions League “would negatively affect
our ability to attract and retain talented players and
coaching staff, as well as supporters, sponsors and other
commercial partners”.
The club has forecast an overall revenue drop of between
€48.9m and €61.7m for the coming financial year, based
on a third-placed finish this season. Income from a record
€97m-a-year kit deal with Adidas will automatically fall to
€67.2m in the event of a second season away from
Europe's top competition.
United's decision to switch kit suppliers from Nike to Adidas
has also complicated their approach to Ronaldo, whose
personal sponsorship deal remains with the American
company. No player in football has greater commercial
potential than Ronaldo. With 30.1m Twitter followers and
98.8m on Facebook his social media reach comfortably
exceeds that of both United and Madrid, a point not lost on
his current employer.
"It's all speculation, speaking about my future,” said
Ronaldo last week. “My future is Madrid. I'm happy. The
season is going well and I'm not talking about my future, it
doesn't make sense."
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