THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MADRID, Spain — Real Madrid is waiting for Cristiano Ronaldo’s announcement on his future before moving ahead with its plans to try and sign the winger from Manchester United.
The Portugal captain has said he will make no comment until after the European Championship, which ends on June 29. Ronaldo’s side was meeting Germany in the quarter-final later Thursday.
"We’re waiting for Cristiano to make a statement. Whenever he says he wants to play for Real Madrid, there would be conversations between the two clubs," Madrid spokesman and general director Miguel Angel Arroyo told radio station Onda Madrid.
"We would be delighted to reach an agreement with Manchester if the possibility exists, that is, if they want to sell and the price were reasonable," Arroyo added.
United has been so annoyed by what it sees as Madrid’s attempts to lure Ronaldo, who has four years of his contract remaining, that it lodged an official complaint with FIFA.
However, world football’s governing body said Monday it will take no action against Madrid because no regulations had been broken. Although it warned the club of the potential legal consequences of inducing a player to breach his contract without just cause.
The 23-year-old Ronaldo, who scored 42 goals last season, has done little to quash speculation of a move to Madrid. Reports have suggested Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has already reached a deal with the Spaniards on his behalf.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted Ronaldo will not be sold, saying his team’s American owners, the Glazer family, would prefer to banish players like Ronaldo to the stands rather than sell them.
However, it remains to be seen whether United would reject what reportedly would be an offer of a world-record 80 million euros (C$125 million) for the player who helped the team become European and Premier League champion.