Ronaldo likely staying at Manchester – Real Madrid boss

Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo will likely stay at Manchester United next season because the English champions are not willing to let him go, Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon said Sunday.

“Ronaldo has said he would like to play here, that it is a dream, that he would be excited to come to Real Madrid but it is a desire of the player which can not be carried out without Manchester's agreement,” the online edition of sports daily Marca quoted him as saying.

“Manchester has to want it. Once they decide to sell him and communicate this, we can say we are talking about a possible transfer. But as of today that is not happening,” Calderon said.

“Theoretically we still have time, there are still two months left until the end of August if Manchester gets in touch with Real Madrid and makes an offer,” he added.

The most probable outcome “as of today” is that “Cristiano Ronaldo will continue to play for Manchester United next year,” Calderon said.

Calderon and Manchester United chief executive David Gill will hold talks in Switzerland next week over the 23-year-old, Spanish sports daily AS reported Saturday.

The private talks will take place on Monday at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon on the sidelines of a wider meeting of European clubs, it said.

United on Friday moved to quell further talk that their prize asset was about to link up with the Bernabeu club, saying the rumours were “utter nonsense and totally laughable. Cristiano Ronaldo is not for sale”.

Manchester United have repeatedly said the player – whose contract runs until 2012 – is definitely not for sale.

Last month the club reported nine-time European champions Real for trying to unsettle Ronaldo, but FIFA did not find the Spaniards had breached any regulations.

Ronaldo is scheduled to undergo an ankle operation next week and is not scheduled to join the club on their pre-season tour of South Africa which begins on July 18.