[losangeles]

Reading this caps what has been an incredible Friday.

Cristiano Ronaldo is set to sign a new £40m deal | The Sun |HomePage|Sport|Football

CRISTIANO RONALDO is set to sign a new £40million deal with Manchester United.

He will become the highest-paid player in England on a massive £150,000 a week.

The Portuguese winger, 23, will put pen to paper on the five-year deal before Euro 2008.

Ronaldo’s current contract had four years to run but United want to stave off Real Madrid.

A United source said: “This will be the biggest contract in the club’s history. Given Ronaldo’s achievements over the past two years, it’s easy to understand why.

“There is no doubt he is the best player in the world and we want to make sure he is happy at United. There is only one place for him and that is Old Trafford.”

Ronaldo, currently on £100,000 a week, is enjoying a sensational season. He has scored 37 goals for United in all competitions and is the hottest property in world football.

The news is a big boost for boss Alex Ferguson, whose troops face Arsenal in tomorrow’s title clash.

Real were plotting a massive bid for Ronaldo in the summer, while Barcelona and Inter Milan were also planning swoops.

Real technical director Pedja Mijatovic held a meeting with Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes to reiterate the club’s desire to capture the superstar.

But Mendes made it clear to Madrid that Ronaldo is set to stay at Old Trafford.

Ronaldo’s new deal will dwarf that of team-mate Wayne Rooney on £112,000 a week.

He leapfrogs the Chelsea quartet of Michael Ballack and Andriy Shevchenko — both on £130,000 a week — and Frank Lampard and John Terry, who are on £120,000 a week.

But he has some way to go to match the biggest earners in world sport. Tiger Woods pulls in £50m a year, boxer Oscar de la Hoya earned £22m in 2007 and golfer Phil Mickelson was just behind on £21m.

David Beckham’s pay at LA Galaxy is about £16m a year — but he earns millions more in sponsorship deals.

[Torque]

I hope this puts and end to those rumours, but I'm not sure Real will give up so easily. They are desperate to re-build the team, that would match the one which won the CL in 2002. And Ronaldo would be a perfect addition to the team.

[dpak3000]

Love this. This is the best news I could have heard. This just ensures that Ronaldo will be wearing a United shirt for hopefully his entire career. Even if Real were to make a bid after this contract, the bid would be absolutely so expensive that Real will have to think twice. Doesn't matter anyway since SAF will never budge on such an offer.

[simpsom]

what a good new,top that real and any club,we can see there that SAF really want ronaldo to staybut i think if ronaldo want to leave nothing would not be able to stop him .at the end its all really is up to him

[Prongs]

150 K has nothing to do with real/barca , cos they can pay upto 180 K per week ) and it doesn't really matter if they would get him in the end or not . Point right now is , its a good move , as fergie said , i would pay him more if he scores more and why not? the boy is the best in the world ,and the money isnt something which is like we dont have ... So big deal

[Mark]

first of all SU*K THIS MIJATOVIC!!!!


that's a very very very good news for us the fans in special, and i'm very happy that he get a new much bigger deal in money amount cuz let's say he will be less tempted to leave if the money have been the problem.


anyways Ronaldo himself said that he enjoys the life at United but one day he'll leave to play in Spain cuz that's his dream, but i and i think we all hope that day to be around he reaches at least 30.


all in all great news, it settles the situation a little bit, good job SAF and United!

[Silas "Subpoena" Awaketh]

The Sun!

[funkdoctorspock]

Telegraph Silas. Better now?

Manchester United have opened talks with Cristiano Ronaldo's agent over a new five-year contract worth more than £150,000 a week.

United are concerned about another likely attempt by Real Madrid to sign the world's top footballer and are ready to offer the player the biggest deal in the history of the club.

Jump for joy: Cristiano Ronaldo could earn £150,000 a week

Real have been linked with a summer move to lure Jose Mourinho to replace Bernd Schuster and the new manager would have a massive transfer budget to try to land Ronaldo. Mourinho and Ronaldo share the same agent - fellow Portuguese friend Jorge Mendes.

Mendes was paid £1.1 million by United in February 2007 when Ronaldo signed a five-year extension to keep him at the club until 2012. Since then Ronaldo has been the world's best player, scoring 39 goals this season as a winger.

Ronaldo, who will play against Arsenal at Old Trafford today, is being offered a deal worth £40?million to keep him at the club until 2014. United manager Sir Alex Ferguson knows that the 22-year-old is the most sought-after player in the game. He was named player of the month for March and short-listed for the PFA Player of the Year on Friday.

After persuading him to sign his current contract, Ferguson said: "Of course it was costly but I told our people, 'Look, two or three years down the line we could be playing Real Madrid and thinking to ourselves that we had the best player in the world and let him go.' Nobody would want that."

United can move six points clear at the top of the Premier League if they beat Arsenal today, but Gunners manager Arsene Wenger insists he is prepared to lose his temper on the touchline again to help his side keep alive their title hopes.

Wenger, who pounded the ground with his hand when his side failed to beat Liverpool in the league last week, claims his young players get a huge lift from seeing him be aggressive.

Wenger said: "At the moment I feel the team needs support and help. When it is all going well you don't get up.

"But at the moment I feel the team needs my complete tackling potential. That is why I do it. They need support because they are young players."

Man Utd make record bid to keep Ronaldo - Football News - Telegraph

[Anderson]

much better funky

good news for everyone involved...except Real Madrid... and his mum

[aegis007]

Ronaldo is going to get more money than now, he is the best player, so he can have more than others.