Man Utd accept £80m Ronaldo bid

Manchester United have accepted a potential world record £80m bid from Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo.

“United have agreed to give Real Madrid permission to talk to the player,” read a statement from the Old Trafford club.

It added the decision came at the 24-year-old winger’s request after he “again expressed his desire to leave”.

United said the offer was unconditional and want the matter to be concluded by 30 June, while Madrid hope to agree personal terms “in the next few days”.

Ronaldo sold to Real Madrid for £80m

Manchester United have accepted an £80million bid from Real Madrid for Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo has long been a target for the Spanish giants, whose president Florentino Perez vowed earlier this week to do “everything possible” to take the 24-year-old to the Bernabeu.

A statement on www.manutd.com this morning, under the headline ‘Reds accept £80m Ronaldo bid’, read: “Manchester United have received a world-record, unconditional offer of £80million for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid.”

Ronaldo reaction: Manchester United should not panic

Stapleton pointed out that United had sold star players in the past and had not suffered when David Beckham and Jaap Stam left the club, or when Eric Cantona retired.

Stapleton told Sky Sports News: “I feel that money will be used very, very quickly.

BARCELONA STUNNED BY REAL DEALS

Barcelona finance director Xavier Sala i Martin is bewildered as to how Real Madrid are funding their summer spending spree.

With a reported transfer budget of 300million euros at their disposal, Madrid president Florentino Perez has this week set about creating a second ‘galacticos’ era.

The Spanish giants had a world-record bid of £80million for Portugal winger Cristiano Ronaldo accepted by Manchester United on Thursday, hot on the heels of Monday’s 68million euros acquisition of Brazil playmaker Kaka from AC Milan.

And Sala i Martin, whose team finished nine points clear of Madrid at the Primera Division summit last month, is puzzled by how the purchases are being financed.

He told Radio Station RAC1: “I don’t know where the 300million euros that Florentino Perez expects to invest on signings are coming from.

“He says he will recover that money by selling shirts but, in order to do that, he will have to sell 30million shirts. That is impossible.”

Sala i Martin is stunned Madrid are able to spend so much money in such a difficult economic climate.

He added: “I guess someone will have to give him that money and it would be good for him to explain where it will come from.

“How can it be that a football team is loaned so much money, considering the current financial crisis in the country and the policy of restricting credits that banks are currently following?

“I can assure you that we will not pay 65million euros for a player.

“For that amount we would buy the whole Barcelona team that won the Champions League in Rome.”