Manchester United slapped a “not for sale” sign on striker Cristiano Ronaldo yesterday following the Portuguese international striker’s most recent bid to pave the way toward joining Real Madrid.
Ronaldo has been linked with the nine-times European champions since he hinted at a move to Real five days before United’s triumph over Chelsea in the Champions League final on May 21.
And after Portugal were ousted from the Euro 2008 on Thursday following a 3-2 defeat to Germany, the 23-year-old said he would announce his future intentions in “two to three days.”
However United have moved quick to quell speculation of a big-money move for their coveted star, and appear to have dug their heels in over the issue in a statement on their Web site.
“Further to Friday’s press speculation about where Cristiano Ronaldo’s future lies, the club has moved to reiterate its stance on the matter: United are not listening to offers,” the statement said.
Ronaldo told reporters after Thursday’s defeat: “There will be news in the coming days.”
Asked about a move to Real, he said: “It’s a big possibility, but it doesn’t just depend on me. I think a concrete offer has been made [from Real], but we’ll see what happens in the next few days and whether we can come to some kind of agreement.”
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