Real Madrid say it would take a £350 million deal to allow Cristiano Ronaldo to leave the club, which they expect to deter Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United.
The 32-year-old, unhappy at the Bernabeu because of a perceived lack of support over his battle with Spanish tax authorities, what he considers to be unfair press and the jeering he has received from some Real Madrid fans, signed a new five-year deal with the Champions League winners, in November, on £350,000 a week net.
His buy-out clause is set at £870 million and, though, clearly no club — not even in China — could countenance meeting that, the Spanish newspaper with the closest links to Real Madrid president, Florentino Perez, Marca, is reporting that it would take a £350m deal for them even to consider selling Ronaldo.
That breaks down to £175 million in transfer fees and £175 million in wages over the four remaining years of his deal, for which Real Madrid would expect to be compensated, given that the player would have breached his contract.
Real Madrid have reacted calmly to the briefing from his advisors that their star player wants to leave and that his decision is “irreversible”.
They will not attempt to soothe him by phone over the next two weeks, when he is playing for Portugal at the Confederations Cup in Russia.
Instead, Marca have reported that the club plan a meeting in person between Perez, managing director, Jose Angel Sanchez and Ronaldo after the tournament.
If the player persists with his demand of leaving, after he was accused by Spanish prosecutors of owing £12.9 million in tax on image rights, which were housed offshore in the British Virgin Islands and the Republic of Ireland, it is clear that Perez has a strong hand to play in negotiations.
And Ronaldo’s advisors are also well aware that moves by Real Madrid in recent months to encourage Eden Hazard and Kylian Mbappe to join the club are intended to pave the way for a successor.
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