Cristiano Ronaldo’s future with Manchester United was still up in the air on Thursday, despite the club insisting he was not for sale.
The Portuguese winger has retracted slightly from his claim that he would be moving away from Old Trafford after the rumpus surrounding his role in the World Cup sending off of Wayne Rooney.
But in admitting there was a chance he could stay at United, the 21-year-old has also confirmed he could still leave, with his future set to be resolved before the weekend.
”There is still nothing concrete,” he said.
”If it is a question of staying then it will be fine, if I leave it will also be fine.
”It is still a question that has to be decided and is an issue that has to be discussed in the next few days.”
As he has now headed back to his Mediterranean home island of Madeira to recover from his World Cup exertions, Ronaldo is leaving all negotiations to his agent Jorge Mendes.
Whatever discussions Ronaldo thinks are going to take place promise to be brief, with both Ferguson and United chief executive David Gill adamant the player will not be sold.
They could easily make a handsome profit on the £12,2 million they paid Sporting Lisbon for Ronaldo in 2003, but publicly at least are insisting that such a move is not on the cards.
”There is no possibility of Cristiano being sold,” said United.
”Cristiano recently signed a new contract until 2010 and the club fully expects him to honour it.
”The club will not listen to any offers for Cristiano. He is one of the brightest young stars in world football as demonstrated by his performances at the World Cup and Manchester United are not in the business of selling their best young players.”
Ferguson clearly does not want to see one of his best young players leave for a major European rival, acknowledging the negative signal it will send out.
But, while he feels he should be able to reconcile Ronaldo and Rooney, there could be a possibility that the Portuguese star will simply not show up as planned at the club’s Carrington training base. — AFP
