RONALDO TRANSFER SAGA
By Soccernet staff
June 5, 2009
Real Madrid will have to pay Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo a fee of around £26m if they fail to sign him during the summer, according to the Spanish club's vice-president Fernando Tapias.
The Madrid official was asked about the infamous, but as yet unseen, pre-contract agreement for the FIFA World Player of the Year and if it stipulated that Madrid would have to pay €90m to sign Ronaldo or a €30m penalty if they did not.
"Yes.. but that is not our fault," Tapias told Spanish Radio station Cadena COPE. "Ronaldo is a great player. I remember when I was last at the club and Figo was here telling people about him. He is one of the best players in the world.
"That he has a special character and that the price is exorbitant is also true. Maybe FIFA should put a €50m price cap on transfers."
The pre-contract, allegedly agreed by ousted Real chief Ramon Calderon and facilitated by Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes, is believed to expire at the end of June, giving Madrid just over a fortnight to complete the deal.
United have repeatedly denied the existence of any agreement.
Newly-elected Los Blancos president Florentino Perez has made no secret of his intentions to sign the world's biggest names this summer and has openly stated he wants AC Milan star Kaka and Ronaldo to head to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Perez, who presided over the galacticos era of Zindine Zidane and Luis Figo during his first stint in charge, said: "The best players in the world, the ones that have won the Fifa World Player of the Year award are Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo - they are the players Real Madrid fans demand.
"We have to will to complete the transfer of Kaka, we are not nervous and I hope in a few days we will happily announce the deal.
"I have said Ronaldo does interest us. We have to resolve this and the other big signings in this month of June.
"It seems in the case of Ronaldo he does have a get-out clause and it means if the player brings the money stipulated in the clause he can go."
Madrid are expected to complete the £60m signing of Brazil international Kaka on Monday.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=652760&sec=transfers&&cc=3888
