Real Madrid's top summer priority is to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, according to reports from Spain. Madrid papers Marca and AS are both full of the news that the Manchester United winger is top of sport director Predrag Mijatovic's shopping list.
The Portuguese ace has been in red-hot form in recent weeks, and has netted 13 times this season to fire United's title bid. While AC Milan's Brazilian ace Kaka is still admired by many at Real, Ronaldo is now their number one target.
AS claims that there has already been informal contact between Real and the player, and that Ronaldo is well aware of their interest. Signing the Portugal star would finally fill the void left when Luis Figo left the Bernabeu.
Wednesday's reports say Real would like to add a central defender to their ranks in the summer, but the main priority is to land two top-class forwards. Ronaldo has also been linked with their bitter rivals Barcelona, with the player's agent saying he offered the player to the Catalan giants last season.
United Wiill Fight To Keep Ronaldo
Manchester United assistant coach Carlos Queiroz has shrugged off reported interest from Real Madrid about star winger Cristiano Ronaldo, insisting the player is going nowhere.
Reports in the Spanish press on Wednesday suggest Ronaldo will be the big summer target for Madrid, who were also heavily linked to the Portuguese international last year.
However, Queiroz, who was manager at Madrid in 2003, is adamant the 21-year-old is not for sale. "No (to a possible transfer). In addition to that, we are speaking with him about renewing his contract," Queiroz said in Marca.
Ronaldo's current contract ties him to Old Trafford until 2010.
"The club have a clear policy. It is not necessary that a player has to finish his contract before we think about renewing it," Queiroz added. "(Ryan) Giggs has been with us for 14 years and he has renewed his contract many times. This club do not need the agents to recognise the work of the players. We anticipate things ourselves and that is what we are going to do with Cristiano."
Speculation about a possible Madrid swoop for Ronaldo hit fever pitch during last summer's World Cup. Ronaldo twice declared he wanted to quit Old Trafford for Spain, the second time coming in the wake of his antics in the World Cup quarter-final against England, where he appeared to be involved in getting United club-mate Wayne Rooney sent off.
However, Ronaldo ended up staying in Manchester and has been a revelation this season, scoring 13 goals already to help United go clear at the top of the Premiership.
And Queiroz believes it is the way of the sport that rival teams such as Madrid will be linked to the player, who was a £12.24million signing from Sporting Lisbon in August 2003.
"It is natural that the media talk about Cristiano Ronaldo with Real Madrid. He is a great player and Madrid are a great club, but it is just speculation. They are fantasises," said Queiroz. The football that he is playing in Manchester is an example that he is happy here and he has his head at United. He has talent and is the best in the world.
"He is always the first to arrive at training and the last to go. Many times when the session has finished, we shower, eat and then we look at the pitch and he is still training," said Queiroz about his fellow Portuguese. "He is a player who has a divine gift. He was born to be the best in the world."
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