The Daily Express broke the story on Saturday that Real Madrid plan to outflank Ferguson and chief executive David Gill by lodging a £75million bid directly to the owners, the Glazer family, in America.

But a well-informed source said: “Sir Alex has put his foot down.

“He is so adamant that if the club dared to cash in on Ronaldo against his wishes, it wouldn’t surprise me if he walked out.”

Ronaldo has said ‘yes’ to a £300,000-a-week offer from Real to his agent – a five-year contract worth a staggering £75m in personal terms, putting him top of football’s global pay stakes.

Ferguson knows it is pointless United offering Ronaldo a pay rise from the current £125,000-a-week deal he signed only last summer as they could not match Real’s package.

The United boss has said he will retire within the next three years, but he would bring forward his decision and could walk away immediately, or stay for one more season until United find his successor, should they sell Ronaldo against his wishes.

Ferguson will only sanction Real’s bid if he believes it is in the best interests of the team and, as yet, he still believes it is possible to bring Ronaldo back and exorcise the spectre of Real and their huge offer from the player’s mind.

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FERGUSON, YOU'RE A WASTE OF SPACE

16.06.08, 5:46pm

Ferguson has been leaving Moan United every week since he went there.
Time he quit and stopped his whining.
He doesn't own the club and if the owners want to sell a player then let them.
Nuff said.

• Posted by: Brown_U_Idiot • Report Comment

YEAH AND SO WHAT.....

16.06.08, 11:02am

If I was Ferguson I'd sell him straight away! Same as Beckham, Japp Stam........Oh, and one more thing as can't make any comments about Euro on any other column. Croatia has shown England just why they are there and we're not! Never seen such a team spirit ,and boy do they play their football well!!! Hopefuly England can take a leaf from that book and learn that its not just enough to turn up for a game! I don't realy know why are we calling ourselfs a great football nation? We won a world cup fair but haven't played a single final of Euro or world cup since! Germans played 11 and Italy 8 !!!

• Posted by: Slaven • Report Comment

SIR ALEX, YOU'RE ONLY DRINKING FROM THE SAME CUP

16.06.08, 1:56am

You must admit, to SAF, that it's your own tactics that you're suffering from; ask Rooney. Then you must also admit that it's all up to money. You've been told last season, by Ronaldo, if you want to keep him you've to make him the highest paid player in the world. He's getting 300k/wk post-tax at Real Madrid, something no one else can offer, apart from Chelsea. Anyone, even Sir Alex, would love to move on for such a deal; but he's only defying it because he's a manager not a player.

• Posted by: Nubian • Report Comment

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