Tevez agreed City deal weeks ago

Reports in England are claiming that Manchester City-bound Carlos Tevez decided to leave Old Trafford over two weeks ago.

The Mirror newspaper has reported that City will announce a £25.5 million move in the coming days, something that seems increasingly likely to be validated after United announced over the weekend that Tevez had rejected a five-year contract offer from the Red Devils.

A statement on United's website said that despite an offer that would make him one of the highest earners at Old Trafford," his advisers informed the club that, despite the success he has enjoyed during one of the club's most successful periods, he does not wish to continue playing for Manchester United."

Speculation is rife that Tevez was upset by United manager Sir Alex Ferguson's reluctance to give him a starting spot, and the Argentine has earlier claimed he did not feel like "part of the family" in Manchester.

Tevez apparently made his decision to leave since he felt he was not valued enough at the Theatre of Dreams, despite being a fan favourite, with cries of "Sign him up, sign him up" often erupting in the stands whenever he appeared toward the end of the season.

At Eastlands, Tevez is apparently set to sign a £100,000 a week contract, and will be the third signing for City after they snapped up Gareth Barry and Roque Santa Cruz.

Manager Mark Hughes, backed by the club's Arab owners, is looking to revamp a City side that looking attackingly listless last season, and Tevez will join fellow new signing Santa Cruz as well as Robinho and Craig Bellamy up front for them.

After losing both Cristiano Ronaldo and Tevez early in the summer, Ferguson will certainly be under pressure to bring in new players, but United have so far been quiet in the market, despite being linked with Antonio Valencia, Douglas Costa and Karim Benzema among others.

Tevez rules out Reds move

Carlos Tevez has ruled out a summer move to Liverpool, Sky Sports News sources have learned.

The Argentina international, who has spent the last two seasons on loan with Manchester United, has emerged as a transfer target for a quartet of Premier League clubs.

United have first option to sign the striker, whose registration is owned by a company rather than another club, but Tevez has indicated he is not happy at Old Trafford after seeing his starting options restricted this season.

That has caused a scramble for his services with Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea all credited with an interest in the former West Ham favourite.

However, Sky Sports News sources have been informed that a move to Anfield is not an option for Tevez.

That leaves the Red Devils, their local rivals City and London outfit Chelsea battling it out to secure the energetic forward's signature for next season.

Tosic - Players knew Ronaldo will leave

Manchester United midfielder Zoran Tosic claims Cristiano Ronaldo told team-mates he was leaving before the UEFA Champions League final.

Ronaldo and co slugged it out with Barcelona in the Champions League final on 20th May, a match The Red Devils lost 2-0 in Rome.

The match had been tipped by many as being Ronaldo's last for United following a hugely successful six seasons at Old Trafford.

It was not long after the match that Real Madrid agreed a blockbuster £80million deal for his servives, but Tosic claims the players knew what would be happening."He told us he had won all the awards and he wanted to try something else," Tosic said of Ronaldo's plans. "I don't know if he had already signed for Real Madrid.

"He is going to again be the best player in the world. Last season he scored 42 goals, this time 27. And they all said it's his worst season because it was not enough. In Madrid he will be the best again."

Tosic has made just three first-team appearances for the Championship since joining from Partizan Belgrade in January, but hopes to play more with Ronaldo set to depart.

"Cristiano was the best player in the team and so someone will come in to take his place. I hope I will get the chance," he concluded.

United start against Birmingham

Manchester United will begin the defence of their Premier League title at home to newly promoted Birmingham.

Carlo Ancelotti's first game in charge at Chelsea will be against Hull at Stamford Bridge as the campaign gets under way on the weekend of August 15.

Liverpool open at Tottenham while Arsenal face Everton at Goodison Park.

Wolves play West Ham at Molineux and Burnley visit Stoke on their return to the top flight before facing Manchester United at Turf Moor 18 August.

Big-spending Manchester City make the journey to Blackburn on the opening day before hosting Everton at Eastlands on 19 August.

New Wigan boss Roberto Martinez starts his reign at Aston Villa, while Bolton are at home to Steve Bruce's Sunderland and Portsmouth meet Fulham at Fratton Park. Manchester United have to wait until the end of the month before they play one of the top four clubs as they take on Arsenal at Old Trafford on 29 August, with the return fixture at the Emirates on 30 January.

Sir Alex Ferguson's side visit Anfield to play Liverpool on 24 October and last season's runners-up are at Old Trafford on 20 March. Chelsea are the last of the other top four sides to face United when they play the champions at Stamford Bridge on 7 November, with the return fixture on 3 April.

Last season's losing Champions League finalists close the season at home to Stoke on 9 May, while Liverpool finish their season at Hull on 9 May.

Liverpool visit Stamford Bridge on October 3, while Chelsea travel to Anfield on 1 May.

Wolves fans will be looking forward to a December 15 trip to Old Trafford to play Manchester United and a home fixture against the champions on March 6, while fellow top-flight newcomers Birmingham play the champions at St Andrews on 9 January.

Christiano Ronaldo - Is he going to be a success at Real Madrid

Finally the time has come for the magician from Portugal to leave England and find his place among the Catalans. But is he going to be a success at Madrid ????


Before 3 years Ronaldo was considered only a showoff with few numbers under his sleeves . He was a big game flop and fell down too easily (which still goes on ). Wayne Rooney was considered the better of the two. But after the departure of van Nistelrooy again to Madrid Ronaldo claimed the center stage . It was born out of necessity as Sir Alex gave him the license to roam . With his speed , dribbling and eye for goals he stole the headlines but the actual work was done buy Rooney , Giggs ,Carrick .......

Ronaldo claimed every soft goals ,penalties and free kicks .Most of the time Rooney has to sacrifice his favoured position just behind a main striker due to Ronaldo's ineffective defending meant Ferguson was forced to utilise him playing out wide. It should be seen how Roanaldo adapts to the Madrid set up .With Raul , Kaka and other super stars .United was best suited for him

There were plenty of signs last season - quite apart from his disgraceful reaction to being substituted against Manchester City - that Ronaldo was more interested in himself than his club, posturing that will not be missed. Giving posession cheaply and not even trying to get it back . Trying to make referees take decisions in his favour . Even trying to referee a game.

But the English game is going to miss one of its most famous talents . There will no longer be those trade mark free kicks , step overs ....

United have lost their top players before and Sir Alex knows what is best for the club . It is time for Wayne Rooney to claim the head lines as now doing for his national side

Rooney more important than Ronaldo

The PFA believes Manchester United would have had more to fear if Wayne Rooney had left Old Trafford rather than Cristiano Ronaldo.

United have confirmed they had accepted a world record £80million bid from Real Madrid for Ronaldo yesterday, with the staggering transfer set to be concluded by June 30.

Most Red Devils supporters have reacted with a shrug, believing the deal is best for all parties given the massive sum of money involved, providing Sir Alex Ferguson gets it to spend on the team rather than it be used to pay off the Glazer family's huge debt.

And, while PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor accepts Ronaldo's departure leaves a big hole for Ferguson to fill, he would have been more concerned if Rooney had quit.

"It is an interesting question and a difficult decision but as an Englishman, if I was asked to make a choice between the two I would have Wayne Rooney," declared Taylor.

"Wayne has not been far away from being one of the best players in the world for a long time and certainly the way he finished off the season bodes well for Manchester United and England.

"Anyone would want a player of Cristiano Ronaldo's calibre in their team but I would certainly not view his departure as a backward step for Manchester United at all."

Rooney's outstanding form for England, where he had been used in his favoured position just behind a main striker suggests Ferguson might be thinking that way for the 23-year-old at United too.

Despite claiming 12 months ago he had not been fair to Rooney by playing him out wide, Ronaldo's ineffective defending meant Ferguson was forced to utilise him in that role again towards the end of the season.

Ronaldo's exit allows Ferguson to reshape his team slightly to make the most of Rooney's blossoming talent.

If the former Everton star could come up with an extra 10 goals a season, and a new winger, possibly Franck Ribery in addition to the expected arrival of Antonio Valencia, contribute another 10, United would be two-thirds of the way towards matching Ronaldo's contribution, given his astonishing 42-goal haul is unlikely to be repeated by anyone.

Ferguson would also reason that having someone slightly less selfish in his team might bring more out of others.

There were plenty of signs last season - quite apart from his disgraceful reaction to being substituted against Manchester City - that Ronaldo was more interested in himself than his club, posturing that will not be missed, even if his unique skills are a sad loss to the English game as a whole.

"Although he has become more of a team player there was still a significant individual element to the way Ronaldo played," said Taylor.

"Manchester United have always had a very strong team ethic, so it will be interesting to see how Ronaldo's style fits in to the pattern at Real Madrid."

Having made his bold decision, Ferguson will know what plan needs to be activated, even if the danger of paying over the odds for Ribery, and Carlos Tevez, who remains undecided about his own future, is acute.

Lyon's Karim Benzema is bound to come into the Scot's thinking, while there must also be a nagging fear stories about Nemanja Vidic's wife being unhappy in England may result in the Serbian becoming unsettled.

It adds up to an uncertain time for a club who only just failed to become the first to retain the Champions League and, in August, will bid to be the first side in English soccer history to win four titles on the trot.

Yet, as Taylor acknowledges, if anyone has the experience to guide the Red Devils through such choppy waters, it is Ferguson.

"Manchester United have lost top players before and continued to be successful, it is the nature of the game," he said.

"The money being offered was pretty big for a lad who kept saying he wanted to play for Real Madrid.

"Sir Alex has been through this kind of thing plenty of times before and I am sure he will use the money that is made available to strengthen a squad that is already the best in the world."

Ronaldo proud of Real bid

Cristiano Ronaldo has expressed his delight after Real Madrid agreed a world record deal of £80million with Manchester United for his services.

The Red Devils confirmed they had accepted the fee for the Portugal international, who is currently on holiday in the United States, on Thursday.

Ronaldo is flattered that two of the world's biggest clubs want him to play for them and says the £80million Real are willing to splash out on his signature is an 'historic' deal.

The 24-year-old 2008 World Player of the Year is yet to agree personal terms with Real and insists that his minor hernia injury will not require surgery or delay a deal.
Flattering

"It's flattering when two of the top teams in the world want you to play for them," he told Fox Sports.

"The deal is historic - £80m is quite a sum of money.

"I learned about the deal here in LA and have heard from my people that Manchester United have accepted.

"However, I have also been told that Madrid want to have a medical team look at me as expected.

"I do not require surgery. The hernia is nothing to worry about.

"I am on vacation and will remain in LA a bit more."

United fans have demanded all the £80million received from Real for Ronaldo is reinvested in the team - with Carlos Tevez top of their wish-list.

United have been trying to broker a deal with Tevez's advisor Kia Joorabchian, who had a meeting with chief executive David Gill last week aimed at resolving the matter.

However, with a world-record fee at their disposal if, as expected, Ronaldo moves to the Bernabeu later this month, United supporters see no reason to stall any longer, while Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery and Antonio Valencia of Wigan remain major targets.

Most United supporters will be happy to accept Ferguson's judgement on a player who nearly left Old Trafford last summer, since when his elaborate posturing and ego have only increased.

But, as compensation for losing the world player of the year, they want an assurance the massive fee will not be used to pay off part of the Glazer family's £650million debt.

"There is no information that it is anything other than the manager's decision but obviously there is huge pressure on the owners and it is a temptation when you are offered that much money," said Duncan Drasdo, chairman of the Manchester United Supporters Trust.

"That is exactly why we want to see a commitment from the owners that the money is going to remain within the club and available to strengthen the squad.

"We have sold the best player in the world. That is a big disappointment. If the money is reinvested into the club at least it will soften the blow."

Is it wise to spent 100 million euros on a player ?????

Real Madrid in a span of days spent 56 million pounds on Kaka and agreed a deal worth 80 million pounds for Christiano Ronaldo . Is it worth to pay such high amounts for a single player ? That too on time of recession when the number of unemployment is on rise and people are spending with strings tied around their wallet ..

Whatever be the reason that the Spanish outfit is paying such heavy sums on players is ridiculous and their shopping list is not complete yet . Some new players will find a place on their hit list and they will publicly go for the player like what happened to United


It is the time for Michael Platini to act rather than accusing English clubs . For the last one year Madrid was after Ronaldo and Platini was trying to regulate the transfer activities of English clubs . With the amount they are spending on a single player is more than the budget of many nations it is time for somebody to act

United accept Ronaldo offer

Manchester United have confirmed they have accepted a bid from Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo's future at United has been the subject of constant speculation, with Real having trailed his signature for the last three summers.

Real president Florentino Perez has made no secret of the fact that he would like to lure Ronaldo to El Santiago Bernabeu.

The Spanish titans have now agreed an £80million offer for the Portuguese ace and United have given the World Player of the Year permission to talk to the capital club.

Ronaldo will head to the Spanish capital to hold discussions with Real and undergo a medical.

Real have already snapped up Brazilian superstar Kaka in a world-record deal, but a move for Ronaldo would significantly eclipse that figure.

"Manchester United have received a world-record, unconditional offer of £80million for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid," read a club statement.

"At Cristiano's request - who has again expressed his desire to leave - and after discussion with the player's representatives, United have agreed to give Real Madrid permission to talk to the player.

"Matters are expected to be concluded by 30th June. The club will not comment until further notice."

Real confirmed the news in a brief statement on their website, adding that they hoped to finalise matters as soon as possible.

"Real Madrid confirm they have made an offer to Manchester United for the acquisition of the rights of the player Cristiano Ronaldo. The club hope to reach an agreement with the player in the next few days."

The news is bound to be greeted with some scepticism by United fans, who have repeatedly been told no deal had been agreed for the sale of FIFA's World Player of the Year in the face of regular statements from Spain the former Sporting Lisbon star was bound for the Bernabeu.

It was even suggested Ronaldo would be due a £20million compensation fee from Real if the deal did not go through by June 30, the date United now state themselves as when they expect matters to be concluded.

It now remains to be seen where the transfer fee could be reinvested in a squad that almost, but not quite, proved good enough to win back-to-back Champions League trophies, in addition to a hat-trick of Premier League titles.

The name of Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery is bound to crop up as a potential replacement, although the 27-year-old seems overpriced at the £40million figure being bandied about in some quarters, with Wigan's Antonio Valencia also in the frame.

Ferguson will certainly be making plans already to ensure his new faces are on board before United head to Asia for their pre-season tour.

Amid the frenzy over Ronaldo's impending departure, it is bound to be asked whether the current debt hanging over United of almost £700million has played any part in the decision to accept Real's huge bid.

European football looks into another transfer mayhem

With Florentino Perez at their head Real Madrid started their pursuit of the hottest possessions in Football . It is claimed that they have already made agreements with world record amounts for Kaka , Ronaldo ...... their wish list goes on


England is not behind . Oil rich Manchester City leads the chase in England with Chelsea not so behind . Almost 100 million pounds for a player , that too on times like this of recession . It's ridiculous


POTENTIAL WORLD XI OF TRANSFERS
1. Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus)
2. Maicon (Inter Milan)
3. Yuri Zhirkov (CSKA Moscow)
4. Nemanja Vidic (Man Utd)
5. Ricardo Carvalho (Chelsea)
6. Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal)
7. Cristiano Ronaldo (Man Utd)
8. Kaka (AC Milan)
9. David Villa (Valencia)
10. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter)
11. Franck Ribery (Bayern)
Subs: Joleon Lescott, Xabi Alonso, Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero, Samuel Eto'o

Manchester United Want £75 Million For Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo could be allowed to leave for Real Madrid this summer after Sir Alex Ferguson slapped a stunning £75 million price tag on the Portuguese winger, should the latest reports be believed.

According to The Mirror, Ferguson and United's economists believe that this is the right price to sell the Portuguese maestro for and are preparing themselves to receive an official offer from Madrid's president Florentino Perez in the next couple of days.

Perez has already declared his interest in Ronaldo earlier this week, stating that he is "going to work to bring Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid." Ferguson believes that he can only take Perez seriously if such a hefty offer comes his way.

The report also states that Ferguson will use the funds to sign three players, with Wigan's Luis Antonio Valencia, who is valued at £17 million, topping the list of potential targets.

It is also believed that a contractual pact between Real Madrid and Ronaldo was signed by Ramon Calderon earlier this year, and should Madrid fail to sign the winger, they will have to pay a penalty of £26 million.

Perez is likely to give in to Ferguson's demands, rather than pay such a hefty penalty and end up without Ronaldo.

Ronaldo, who is currently on holiday, has not been informed on the situation as of yet.

United announce Aon deal

Manchester United have announced they have secured a lucrative deal with American company Aon from the start of the 2010/11 season.

The company's brand name will feature on the club shirt for four years, replacing current sponsor AIG.

No terms of the sponsorship deal have been announced but it is thought to be worth in the region of £80million.

United chief executive David Gill said: "We are delighted to be entering such an important relationship with a company of the stature of Aon and to have its logo adorn our shirts from the start of the 2010/11 season."

The Premier League champions described the bond with Aon, the world's leading risk advisor and human capital consultant, as 'a significant global partnership and principal sponsorship agreement'.
Shared values

"Today's announcement clearly strengthens our position as one of the biggest clubs in world football," Gill continued.

"We look forward to being closely aligned with the world leader in risk management, a firm which shares our values and is an exciting partner for Manchester United."

Greg Case, Aon's president and chief executive officer, said: "It is a unique opportunity when two leaders in their respective fields can come together in a partnership such as the one we are announcing.

"Manchester United has one of the most recognised sports brands in the world. David and his team are all about winning and about excellence; the same holds true for the Aon team.

"While we are delighted that our brand will be showcased to the over 330 million fans of Manchester United as well as the countless followers of football worldwide, we also are extremely excited about the opportunity to maximise the value of this partnership globally."

Kuszczak considers loan move

Tomasz Kuszczak has admitted he could look for a temporary move away from Manchester United next season.

The Polish goalkeeper moved to Old Trafford in 2006, initially on loan from West Brom before making the switch permanent.

He has yet to establish himself as a regular starter but maintains that he is happy to be plying his trade for such a prestigious club.

However, the 27-year-old is not relishing the prospect of another campaign with very little action as he has to compete with both Edwin van der Sar and Ben Foster.

Kuszczak accepts that he will have to think about joining another club on loan if he wants to be assured of more games.

"This has got out of hand. It is high time for me to look into the option of being loaned out," he said in The People.

"I am a player at the best club in the whole world, and that alone makes me very happy.

"However, that is not the case when I look to next season and the prospect of playing only a few matches."

Reports suggest Kuszczak is a target for a number of Premier League sides, as well as Zenit St Petersburg of Russia and Turkish outfit Besiktas.