MANCHESTER (AFP) - Manchester United have agreed to sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid for a world record 80 million pounds, the club said Thursday.
"Manchester United have received a world-record, unconditional offer of 80 million pounds for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid," said a statement on its website, under the headline "Reds accept £80m Ronaldo bid."
The statement continued: "At Cristiano's request - who has again expressed his desire to leave - and after discussion with the player's representatives, United have agreed to give Real Madrid permission to talk to the player.
"Matters are expected to be concluded by 30 June. The club will not comment until further notice."
Ronaldo has long been a target for the Spanish giants, whose returning president Florentino Perez vowed earlier this week to do "everything possible" to take the 24-year-old to the Bernabeu.
The news comes just days after Real clinched the 56 million pounds transfer of Brazilian playmaker Kaka from Italian side AC Milan as they look to compete with arch-rivals Barcelona on the domestic front and such as Manchester United and Chelsea in the Champions League.
United fans have repeatedly been told no deal had been agreed for the sale of FIFA's world player of the year in the face of regular statements from Spain the former Sporting Lisbon star was bound for the Bernabeu.
There was no immediate statement from Real Madrid
Comment 1 - 11 of 11
mama mia..holy cow.. we've gone bananas in the football world. these footballers
are no longer ball jugglers but movie stars.. yeeeesessses. all the kids will stop
going to school and take to the footbal pitch.
BEL pa zed
mama mia..holy cow.. we've gone bananas in the football world. these footballers
are no longer ball jugglers but movie stars.. yeeeesessses. all the kids will stop
going to school and take to the footbal pitch.
BEL pa zed
mama mia..holy cow.. we've gone bananas in the football world. these footballers
are no longer ball jugglers but movie stars.. yeeeesessses. all the kids will stop
going to school and take to the footbal pitch.
BEL pa zed
mama mia..holy cow.. we've gone bananas in the football world. these footballers
are no longer ball jugglers but movie stars.. yeeeesessses. all the kids will stop
going to school and take to the footbal pitch.
BEL pa zed
mama mia..holy cow.. we've gone bananas in the football world. these footballers
are no longer ball jugglers but movie stars.. yeeeesessses. all the kids will stop
going to school and take to the footbal pitch.
BEL pa zed
I think it is a good deal for both clubs and the player. C. Ronaldo is the curent world's best footballer and pursuing his dream of playing for Real Madrid is nice. We cannot hold on to a player who wants to leave. To Ronny,I say thank you for the fantastic football you played at Man Utd. I believed in his style of play during his first days at Old Trafford when others were saying, he is not that good. I used to tell them to watch him a few yrs later and now I can say I spotted a great player before the world recognized how good he could become. To Man Utd and Sir Alex, well done this is a good deal and to break the world record is awesome. We can buy more players with the 80 mil or Fergie knows what to do coz we have a great team. May be we just need to replace Ronny with another fast paced player who i brilliant. I wld have wanted Robinho to be at United or Kaka, but now he is taken by Madrid. How about Ribery/ Benzema/ Messi? Brighton, Man Utd fan from Zimbabwe
As a life-long Man U fan, I am sorry to see Ronaldo leave and I now seriously ask whether SAF is losing the plot after commenting last December that "he would not sell that mob (Real Madrid) a virus". United have never before had a player with both the pace and skill of Ronaldo and there is no player anywhere who can replace him. And now that SAF, presumably, has a wad of cash to spend on players, I expect that he will buy a number of 17/18 year old players, all under 5 feet seven inches and then proceed to put them out on loan to get the necessary experience before they are committed to United's cause. Without major signings of forwards and midfielders, I fear that our ability to compete at the highest level will be over.
HOORAY, GOT SICK TO DEATH OF HEARING HE'S GOING THEN HE'S NOT, THEN HE IS.
At least we will not have to endure another summer of uncertainty. My guess is that Sir Alex has a game plan up his very shrewd sleeve. He and Utd would not let this happen unless they had an alternative plan in place. Will they now secure the services of Tevez? Without Ronaldo, Rooney, Dimi and Tevez would almost certainly start every game; this would satisfy Tevez's desire fr more 1st starts, plus it would leave £80million in the bank to bolster the squad. In letting Ronaldo go, we must not forget the new lad on the block "Tosic" who looks as though he could excel on the wing. As a Utd fan, i have the utmost confidence in Sir Alex; he will not let himself, the club or the fans down. I am looking forward to the summer now and cannot wait to see what unfolds at OT. In closing, £80million for a player that cost £12million has to go down as the best football transfer ever to have happened. Well done to Utd, Ronaldo and to Real Madrid
Let him go and at the end he will be wasted. that will be the end of his career in footbal and still Man utd are still the best team without Ronny. Think of Game btwn Man u and Hull city
if RONALDO goes...
he will become the GREATEST FLOPS EVER in the world HISTORY...
THIS WILL REALLY HAPPEN..
IF NO RONALDO ALSO MAN UNITED STILL THE WORLD BEST TEAM IN THE WORLD..
HOPEFULLY RONALDO CAN THINK ABOUT HIS FUTURE...
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