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Chelsea and Manchester United will be publicly told this week that they have no chance of signing Cristiano Ronaldo.
Spanish giants Real Madrid have decided to issue a statement after their Portuguese superstar was linked to a possible return to the Premier League.
The hands-off warning is directly aimed at both Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho and new United manager Louis van Gaal.
Ronaldo — who earns £288,000 a week at the Bernabeu — has become increasingly unsettled at Madrid after seeing his wages overtaken by big-money deals this summer. His former team-mate at United, Wayne Rooney, is now earning more, while new Old Trafford arrivals Radamel Falcao and Angel Di Maria have also pushed Ronaldo further down the high-earners table.
A Spanish insider confirmed: “This is all about money. Cristiano considers himself to be one of the world’s greatest players and doesn’t want to be paid less than anyone else, no matter who they play for.
“But Madrid are in no mood to let him go and will almost certainly end up giving him whatever he wants. He’s too important for them to let go.”
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United have first option to buy Ronaldo should he become available, while Mourinho — who had a tense relationship with the 29-year-old during their three years together in the Spanish capital — has never lost his respect for the forward’s abilities.
