Cristiano Finally Leaving?

(above, Ronaldo mock-up)

Before Sky Sports News, and many others, Footie Frog has caught wind of something that needs to be brought to the attention of football fans everywhere.
Cristiano Ronaldo. Real Madrid…. back on?

Well maybe, maybe not. We will have to wait until the Summer, obviously. But early indications are that Real Madrid have had secret discussions with the United superstar, and the latter could be prepared to move in a 75 million pound deal.

A saga that has rattled on and on, with promises being broken as quickly as they are made, and truths becoming lies with the same alarming speed, Footie Frog looks at these reports with a skeptical eye, and urges you to do the same.

Reports are that Ronaldo's representatives have held extensive talks with Madrid and, according to several informed sources, the Spanish club were informed in September that Ronaldo had no intention of remaining in Manchester beyond the end of the current season.

No big surprise there, then.

But what has resurfaced is a meeting in December, where one of Real's club's directors, Pedro Trapote, informed the El Mundo newspaper: 

"If you are asking me what we are going to do now, then I would tell you that we have already signed the best player for the summer,"  in a secretly recorded interview. 

Asking for clarification as to whether he meant Ronaldo, he added: 

"The best of the best. It is Cristiano, there is no other. It is better that we do not say anything at the moment, though. It is best to not say anything because there are some clauses that prevent us from announcing it now."

United's official stance has been that Ronaldo is contracted until 2012 and is not for sale. While this stance has not publicly altered, both the Madrid (with Roman Calderon, irritant to Sir Alex no longer in charge) and Ronaldo parties believe they have made a private breakthrough, with claims that the two clubs began talks earlier this season and that United have now accepted Ronaldo's position.

The Portuguese winger’s family have said several things regarding the transfer:
"The mistake last year was to speak about Madrid so much," Ronaldo's godfather, Fernao Sousa, said recently. 

"This year hardly anyone is saying anything and it is certain the transfer will go much better."

Ronaldo's cousin, Luis Felipe, said: 

"He's won everything with United and he needs new challenges with a new team."

Anyway, as I said, take all of this information with a pinch of salt – nothing in football (and certainly regarding Ronaldo) is ever quite as it seems. Especially when a man as stubborn as Sir Alex is involved. But this just may be too big for him, and if ‘seems’ is anything to go by, the Glazers will be the only people in Manchester relieved to see him elsewhere next term.

The irony of all this of course, would be that Calderon, the man who worked tirelessly to get the icon to come to the ‘Galacticos’, may have at last got his man. Unfortunately it will be the Summer’s new president (presumably Florentino Perez) that will be munching on the fruits of his labour.