Real Madrid offer world-record €155m deal to keep Cristiano Ronaldo

The Portuguese superstar is in advanced negotiations over a five-year contract that will be the most lucrative in the history of footballJun 18, 2013 9:31:00 AMCristiano Ronaldo - Real MadridCristiano Ronaldo - Real MadridEXCLUSIVE
 By Ben Hayward & Alberto Pinero

 Cristiano Ronaldo is close to agreeing a new contract with Real
Madrid which will make him the world's highest-earning footballer, Goal can reveal.

 Madrid are in advanced talks with Ronaldo's representatives over a
deal totalling around €155 million over five years, with the
Portuguese forward set to earn €15m annually after tax in what will
be the most lucrative contract in the history of the game.

 Ronaldo, who has scored 201 goals in just 199 games in his four
seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu, raised alarm bells on Thursday
when he posted a cryptic message on Twitter which read simply: "All
the news about my renewal with Real Madrid are false." Days
earlier, however, he revealed his intention to remain at the
Spanish side beyond his current contract, which expires in
2015.

 After Portugal's 1-0 win over Russia in a World Cup qualifier last
week, Ronaldo said: "I haven't spoken to anyone yet, [but] I know
we will reach an agreement on a new contract. The most important
thing now is the national team." And he also claimed his future has
nothing to do with the departure of coach Jose Mourinho. "I am not
worried by what Mourinho does; I am concerned with Real Madrid and
my future," he said in May. The pair's relationship, once
excellent, deteriorated in recent months following an angry dispute
over a tactical correction made by Mourinho in a game against
Valencia in January.

UNITED'S INTEREST VERY
REAL
Though it never reached the stage of tabling an official offer,
Manchester United’s dream of persuading Ronaldo to return to Old
Trafford was and remains a genuine one.

 A public and private charm offensive kicked off in earnest around
the time the Premier League champions drew the Spanish giants in
the Champions League last December and reached a crescendo when the
prolific Portuguese arrived back on his former stomping ground in
March and duly scored the decisive goal in the tie.

 The reception he was afforded that night struck a chord with the
player who had felt unloved and unappreciated in the Spanish
capital. That he spent time after the match catching up with his
former team-mates and speaking so positively of his former
employers, to the extent that he appeared to be leaving the door
open for a return, gave United’s hierarchy belief they were capable
of pulling off an astonishing coup.

 In truth, however, the stratospheric sums involved were always
likely to prove the most significant barrier, alongside Madrid’s
reluctance to sell, to a deal being stuck.

James Goldman, Goal UK Ronaldo's posture has changed after his well-documented 'sadness'
at the beginning of last season, when he was frustrated at what he
perceived to be a lack of public support from the club in the race
for the Ballon d'Or, a fall-out with team-mate Marcelo and the
club's apparent unwillingness to discuss a new deal.

 Madrid signed Ronaldo from Manchester United in a world-record €94
million deal back in the summer of 2009, following Florentino
Perez's return to the presidency at the capital club. He currently
earns around €10m annually after tax.

 When Ronaldo arrived, however, the so-called 'Beckham Law', which
allowed foreigners who had lived in Spain for less than 10 years
and who earned above €120,000 per annum to pay a lower tax rate of
around 23 per cent and not the usual 45%, was still in force. David
Beckham was one of the first to take advantage of the law after his
move from Manchester United in 2003.

 However, the Spanish government has since scrapped that initiative
and a new deal would see Ronaldo required to pay 52% of his salary
to the taxman. Hence, Madrid will be faced with an annual outlay
close to €31m in order to pay the Portuguese the net €15m he has
asked for.

 Madrid, however, are aware of the importance of keeping Cristiano.
The capital club missed out on Neymar recently, while they look to
be frustrated in their pursuit of Dortmund duo Ilkay Gundogan and
Robert Lewandowski. Other previous transfer targets, such as Sergio
Aguero and Radamel Falcao, will not be arriving either, while
Gareth Bale is expensive and unwilling to force a move and Edinson
Cavani is considered overpriced by the Madrid board. Ronaldo's
renewal, therefore, assumes even greater importance.

 President Perez has already revealed Real's intention to make the
Portuguese the cornerstone of the club's next sporting project. "I
want to build Real Madrid around Cristiano Ronaldo," he said late
last month. "And I want Cristiano to be the best-paid player in the
world."

 Madrid are ready to meet Ronaldo's wage demands and make the
Portuguese a higher earner than Lionel Messi, who takes home around
€13m before bonuses at Barcelona, and Falcao, who will bring in
€14m annually at Monaco. Samuel Eto'o earns €20m per year at Anzhi
Makhachkala, although the Cameroonian is on just a three-year deal
and his total package will be surpassed by Ronaldo's Real
contract.

 The one sticking point currently is the player's image rights.
Cristiano currently has a 60 per cent share (of which he pays a
third to Jorge Mendes' company Gestifute), while the club keep 40%.
The Portuguese is keen to improve that ratio and his recent tweet,
as well as news stories leaked to press over a stalemate in
negotiations, are thought to be two tactics used in conjunction
with Mendes in order to apply pressure on the club. However, both
parties are confident an agreement will be reached in the coming
weeks.

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