Cristiano Ronaldo insists he wants to stay at Real Madrid – despite recent reports suggesting he was pushing for a return to Manchester United. Since joining Real from the Red Devils in 2009, Ronaldo has won nine trophies – including three Champions League and two La Liga titles. But despite enjoying staggering success in the Spanish capital – he has bagged the Ballon d’Or on five occasions – Ronaldo has been linked with a move in the summer after an alleged contract dispute.
The 32-year-old is said to have been hoping to be offered a new contract worth €50m-a-year, a figure that Real have shown a reluctance to meet. But Ronaldo has dismissed suggestions he is unhappy at Real by declaring his ‘love’ for the club. Speaking to Chinese football app Dongqiudi, he said: ‘Of course I want to stay here, I love this club. ‘I like living here. I’ve lived in this city since 2009 and I love the weather and the people. It’s close to Portugal and you can get there by car. Spain is a great country, I love it.’ The Portugal superstar added: ‘This feeling is incredible. It’s what I’ve always dreamed of. ‘Now, my plan to retire at 41 will probably be a bit more difficult to achieve, and now we live in the moment. ‘Being a coach is not part of my plan, but you also know that people change their minds. For the moment I don’t want to be a coach.’
Jose Mourinho worked with Ronaldo at Real but refused to be drawn into whether he wants to sign him for United. Asked about the rumours surrounding Ronaldo this week, Mourinho responded: ‘I think with the moment Real Madrid is having now I think I should be the last one to add some fuel to the fire. ‘Madrid is on fire, the results are not good and it’s a club where I worked three years, I cared about the club, I am the last one to add fire to put some water on the fire.’
