CRISIS TALKS
Ronaldo’s agent ready for Real battle this week
CRISTIANO RONALDO’S future will be thrashed out at a crunch meeting between his agent Jorge Mendes and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez. That showdown could be held as early as this week.
But the man who set up Ronaldo’s £80million transfer to Madrid believes the former Manchester United star will stay with the Champions League winners.
Former Real president Ramon Calderon tried to sign
Ronaldo in 2008, when it was agreed that he would move there a year later after one final season at Old Trafford.
And Calderon, Perez’s predecessor, said: “I am sure he will stay.
“He can play again for the best club and I think that club is Real Madrid.
“I can’t tell you what he is doing but I hope he will stay.”
It has been claimed in Portugal that Ronaldo, 32, wants to quit Spain after a tax investigation was launched against him and that he feels Real are not giving him enough support.
That has triggered transfer frenzy with United and Paris Saint-Germain strongly linked with Portugal’s captain.
But United were privately briefing yesterday that they have no knowledge of Ronaldo wanting to return to Old Trafford.
And his affection for the club means he would be unlikely to consider an offer from neighbours Manchester City.
But as Ronaldo has four years remaining on his £365k-a-week Madrid contract, which has a buyout clause of £874.88m, it would seem unlikely that he will leave.
One of football’s top transfer operators told the Daily Star Sunday yesterday: “Nobody in the game can see Ronaldo leaving Real Madrid.
“The most likely scenario is that Mendes will use Ronaldo’s current upset to negotiate an even better contract from Real.”
Portugal team-mate Andre Silva, meanwhile, insists allegations of tax fraud and transfer speculation are NOT affecting Ronaldo at the Confederations Cup in Russia.
The Euro 2016 winners meet Mexico in Kazan today and Silva said: “Ronaldo is motivated. He is taking the competition very seriously.”