Real Madrid have stepped up their efforts to bring Cristiano Ronaldo to Spain ahead of what is expected to be an official bid of £75million in the coming weeks.
As Sportsmail first reported in April, Madrid have been confident for months that they had a tacit agreement in place with Manchester United to buy Ronaldo this summer.
While United have always publicly denied this, it is now understood that new Real president Florentino Perez wants to test the water with a mammoth bid once transfer business for players like Valencia's David Villa is out of the way.
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Madrid's sporting director Jorge Valdano hinted at his club's interest in Ronaldo, saying: 'I can only talk about players who are on their way here, not about those we are in negotiations over.
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'But he is a great professional, he dedicates a very great deal of time to his work. He is a great footballer and a very good professional.'
Ronaldo is currently in Los Angeles recovering from a lower abdomen problem that may need minor surgery. He has been told by his advisers not to say anything that may inflame what is already a delicate situation.
It is increasingly possible, though, that Ronaldo may have to formally ask to leave Old Trafford if he wishes to speed up the process.
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As is often the case with the Spanish club, Real have begun to drip-feed stories, information and - in many cases - half-truths to the media in recent days as they look to place increasing pressure on United to give in to something that has been viewed as inevitable at the Bernabeu since before Christmas.
Perez has seemingly done his best to be publicly respectful towards United since he was confirmed as Real's president last week, perhaps wary of how the behaviour of his predecessor Ramon Calderon only encouraged United not to play ball when the Spanish club tried to sign Ronaldo a year ago.
But a flurry of stories in the Spanish press on Wednesday - some ludicrous - suggested that Real were beginning to revert to type.
United refused to comment
source http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1192188/Real-Madrid-crank-75m-Cristiano-Ronaldo-heat.html
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