Sergio Ramos staying at Real Madrid: Captain wants to retire at the Bernabeu

Sergio Ramos has drawn a line under speculation surrounding his future by revealing he is staying at Real Madrid and adding that he would like to retire at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Reports in the Spanish media had claimed the club captain was set to leave after receiving a lucrative offer from China, but the defender called a press conference on Thursday to clear up those rumours.

“I want to make it very clear,” he said. “Lots of things have been speculated. I am a madridista, I want to finish my career here. I want to leave the past behind, the bad season. I want to retire here.”

It had been claimed that one of the reasons Ramos wanted to leave was because of a fallout with president Florentino Perez, but the 33-year-old said: “With the president, we have a father-son relationship.

"There is a lot of warmth between us. Despite some ups and downs, we have always had a good relationship and we want to move forward together.”

Ramos did admit that the offer from China was real, but said he had never thought about leaving.

“The offer is on the table and I spoke to the club and the president. But I never wanted to go to China. I didn’t ask to be let go. A lot of things were speculated. But I have a wedding in two weeks and I wanted to clear this up. I want to give Florentino a proper hug.

“Yesterday we sorted everything out and we want to build a future together.”

The Spain skipper also denied that the fallout had been about money, saying he would play for Real Madrid for free.

“If a player comes in and earns more, that’s a good sign because it means he’s a ‘crack’.

"The financial side doesn’t interest me, as long as I have a contract and I’m happy.

“Everyone has what he deserves and comparisons are hateful. I would play for Madrid for free.”