Manchester United's Portuguese striker Ronaldo is still dreaming of Real Madrid, despite his club's total opposition to his leaving, Spanish sports daily AS reported on Thursday.
Ronaldo's agent Victor Mendes has, according to AS, been in contact with Real to pass on the message that the player still harbours ambitions of playing at the Bernabeu.
The newspaper quoted Ronaldo as saying, via Mendes, “keep calm, I'll sort things out next week. I will go to Manchester and tell them I only want to play at Real Madrid and that the decision is non-negotiable.”
Ronaldo, who had surgery on his ankle at the start of the month and then followed up with a fortnight break in Los Angeles, returned to Europe Wednesday, arriving in Lisbon to continue his convalescence.
Manchester United have insisted there is no chance they will free a player who scored 42 goals last season on the way to landing the Champions League and Premiership titles amid claims that Real would pay up to 85 million euros for his services.
Real Madrid's German coach Bernd Schuster hit out Wednesday at the Spanish club's managers, saying he was in the dark over possible new recruits as the will-he-won't-he Ronaldo speculation rumbles on.
“I am the last to find out anything. I would love to know more,” Schuster told reporters at the club's summer training camp in Austria.
Schuster spoke out after Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon told AS he is still willing to splash out on Ronaldo, 23, whose is under contract at Old Trafford until 2012.
Real will be in England this week for the weekend Emirates Cup contest hosted by Arsenal.
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