Poll: Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid a Done Deal?

By: Daryl | December 18th, 2008

It’s been over two months since we heard a good old C-Ron to Real rumour, and I knew it was all a bit too quiet. Real Madrid are currently being linked with every right winger in the world – including David Bentley and Aaron Lennon – but that’s now looking like a bit of misdirection from Madrid.

Because this isn’t just any old transfer rumour.

Real Madrid director (and Calderon confidante) Pedro Trapote was recorded telling a business associate that the C-Ron deal is done and dusted for next summer, but it has to be kept secret until then.

The story appeared in El Mundo, and no habla españolso I’m afraid, so you’ll have to settle for the translated version in today’s Indendepent:

Trapote explains that the Ronaldo deal is done but clauses in the agreement prohibit Madrid from making it public. He says: “If you are asking me what we are going to do, now I can tell you that we have already signed the top one for next summer.”

When asked: “Are you talking about Cristiano?” he replies: “The top is the top. It is Cristiano, there is no one else. The thing is, it is better not to say anything right now. There are clauses that prevent us from announcing it. For us it would be the right moment but we shouldn’t. But it’s not bad, is it?”

As you can imagine, this hasn’t gone down too well at Old Trafford. According to the BBC’s man in Manchester Steve Wyeth “It’s been strongly dismissed, and with pretty colourful language.”

Any number of things could be happening here. First of all, maybe Trapote is lying. I’m sure it’s not all that rare for big time businessmen to brag about things that aren’t true. That’s why they all have big cars. Second, this could be a bizarre attempt by Real to wind up Man Utd and unsettle C-Ron a bit. If so, then the recent efforts to rebuild bridges between the two clubs just collapsed. And let’s not dismiss the idea that it could all be true. The Ronaldo to Real story did sort of just suddenly disappear this summer…

So, time for a poll. What do you think is happening here?

Or if you think there’s something else going on, please let us know in the comments and we’ll maybe add it to the poll.

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