Manchester United have agreed to sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid for a record 80 million pounds ($130 million), the club said Thursday.
"Manchester United have received a world-record, unconditional offer of 80 million pounds for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid," said a statement on its website, under the headline "Reds accept 80m Ronaldo bid."
The statement continued: "Matters are expected to be concluded by 30 June. The club will not comment until further notice."
Ronaldo has long been a target for the Spanish giants. Real’s recently returned president Florentino Perez vowed earlier this week to do "everything possible" to take the 24-year-old to Bernabeu Stadium.
The news comes just days after Real clinched the 56 million pounds transfer of Brazilian playmaker Kaka from Italian side AC Milan.
There was no immediate statement from Real Madrid, but it has been reported in England that Ronaldo earlier this year had agreed to a pre-contract with the Spanish club worth 8.3 million pounds a year over the next five years. Ronaldo is currently on holiday in Los Angeles and has not released a statement either.
He has been keen to join Real for 18 months and it took a last-ditch plea from United boss Sir Alex Ferguson to persuade him to stay at Old Trafford last year. Ronaldo, who joined United for 12 million pounds in 2003, had made it clear he wanted a new challenge after winning the Champions League in 2008. But Ferguson flew to Lisbon and talked him into one more year with United before reporting Real to FIFA for an illegal approach.
However, Ronaldo, who is contracted to United until 2012, was never fully embraced by fans or teammates after his flirtation with Real. His name was sung less at Old Trafford and there was a noticable drop-off in his performances. Although he scored 18 league goals and helped United to the Premier League title, Ronaldo was often an uninterested bystander for long periods in matches.
Cracks in his relationship with Ferguson began to show when Ronaldo reacted angrily to being substituted against Manchester City. He then criticized the United manager's tactics after the Champions League final defeat to Barcelona.
But Ferguson seems to have run out of patience with Ronaldo's hankering to move to Spain and has finally decided to cash in on his prize asset. United's debts of 700 million pounds must have also played a role in the club's decision to accept the offer.
Questions:
1. Who is Real Madrid’s president?
2. What is the name of Madrid’s football stadium?
3. When does Ronaldo’s contract with Manchester United end?
Answers:
1. Florentino Perez.
2. Bernabeu.
3. 2012.
（英语点津 Helen 编辑）
About the broadcaster:
Nancy Matos is a foreign expert at China Daily Website. Born and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Nancy is a graduate of the Broadcast Journalism and Media program at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Her journalism career in broadcast and print has taken her around the world from New York to Portugal and now Beijing. Nancy is happy to make the move to China and join the China Daily team.
