Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a
staggering five-year deal with Real Madrid — worth almost twice as much
as Gareth Bale will be earning in Spain.
Under
the new agreement, which scuppers any immediate hope Manchester United
have of persuading their former player to return, Ronaldo will earn a
remarkable £15million a year after tax and before bonuses, or £288,000 a
week, dwarfing Bale’s annual £8.3m.
The
contract is a clear indication that Ronaldo remains the main man at the
Bernabeu — despite Bale’s world-record £86m move from Tottenham
Hotspur.
Thumbs up: Cristiano Ronaldo poses with club
president Florentino Perez after a ceremony at Santiago Bernabeu to
announce his new deal
Going nowhere: Ronaldo arrives at the Santiago Bernabeu to sing his new deal
Specs appeal: Ronaldo poses beside club president Florentino Perez after singing his contract
And it is a further blow to David
Moyes’s ambitions at United, with rumours throughout the summer that an
attempt would be made to persuade Ronaldo to return to Old Trafford.
Only last year the player talked of
being ‘sad’ at Madrid, and Bale’s arrival, breaking Ronaldo’s record
transfer fee from United, was thought to have further damaged his ego.
Now Madrid president Florentino Perez
has gone to tremendous lengths to show Ronaldo that he is still the
club’s priority player, and the pair appeared at a press conference on
Sunday to announce the record deal.
Ronaldo is now believed to be the
highest paid footballer in the world — his contract is worth £850,000
more annually than Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s deal with Paris Saint- Germain —
and he said: ‘I’m really happy here. I just want to win trophies for
this club. Manchester is in the past — I’ll be here five more years.
New deal: Cristiano Ronaldo signs his new mega deal at Real Madrid with Florentino Perez
All smiles: Ronaldo speaks to the Spanish media after signing his new deal
All smiles: Ronaldo poses alongside Real Madrid president Florentino Perez and other members of Real Madrid board
‘I appreciate the fans like me a lot
and I want to give my best on the pitch. Everyone knows I was in
Manchester for six years but now my club is Real Madrid. This is my
home, my family is here and I’m really happy here.
‘I respect all the clubs who ask
about me. But they always know that my decision, that my only goal, is
to be here and to play at this club until, maybe, the end of my career.’
Ronaldo said he told Perez he would
sign a new contract at the end of last season, but the deal was held up
by details, which he insisted were not financial.
In a league of his own: Cristiano Ronaldo has signed a new deal at Real Madrid making him the highest paid player in the world
Extreme: Real Madrid are planning to offer Cristiano Ronaldo a new five-year deal worth over £76miliion
‘The day I said I was sad, that day I
was a little sad,’ Ronaldo admitted. ‘It’s normal. It’s human. Maybe I
shouldn’t have said it publicly, but I am not perfect. I make mistakes
like everyone else, but it happened and that page has been turned.
‘Now I am fine, comfortable and very
motivated. In life there are more important things than money. It’s
important. I won’t lie — but the project the club had was more
important. The club want to sign the best players, and I feel included
in that.’
Listen up: Ronaldo scored Real's second goal against Villarreal on Saturday night in a 2-2 draw
Main men: Ronaldo embraces Gareth Bale, who was thought to be a threat to the Portuguese's superiority
The deal takes Ronaldo through to
beyond his 33rd birthday which, if honoured, would effectively end
Manchester United’s interest. United had wanted him to let his deal run
down towards 2015, when he could be bought for a reduced fee.
There had been talk of a £50m signing-on package, but the Madrid deal — worth £76m — blows that out of the water.
‘Ronaldo has won the hearts of all of
Madrid’s fans,’ Perez added. ‘It’s a great day for the club. We have
made the dream of all madridistas: Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid
will remain for ever.’
Man of the moment: Bale scored in his first game for Real
Overtaken: Ronaldo is believed to have overtaken Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the world's best-paid player
Culled from daily mail
