Sat 04 Apr 2007Ronaldo deal a blow for MadridSoccer:Real Madrid have refused to give up on
Cristiano Ronaldo, despite him signing a new five-year deal with
Manchester United. The Madrid press has long insisted Ronaldo will
be joining Real next season and the club have made no secret of the
fact that he is their number-one target.Although there was surprise in the Spanish capital yesterday,
sources in Madrid say Ronaldo's new deal at Old Trafford changes
little - it is, rather, merely a strategy for Manchester United to
increase his value in the summer. The winger's bank balance will be
swelled by £30 million over the next five years but nobody at
Manchester United will surely begrudge him a penny if he can live
up to Alex Ferguson's billing as a footballer who will be bracketed
with Pele and Diego Maradona.