Cristiano Ronaldo will stay at Real Madrid despite their trophyless season and change of manager, says Florentino Pérez. Photograph: Kiko Huesca/EPA
Florentino Pérez, the Real Madrid president, has insisted that Cristiano Ronaldo wants to commit his future to the club – despite growing speculation over a possible return to English football.
Ronaldo, 28, has previously hinted that he plans to leave Madrid when his existing deal expires in 2015, and has been reluctant to enter into talks over new terms. Pérez, though, said the Portugal forward is ready to talk.
"I am going to be as clear as possible," he told Marca. "My aim, Cristiano's aim, and the aim of all Real Madrid fans is that he carries on here for many years to come. And when so many people want the same thing then it usually happens. I want it, Real Madrid want it, the player wants it – without a shadow of a doubt."
Pérez dismissed the suggestion that Ronaldo could be allowed to leave this summer if a substantial bid was received. "He has two years left on his contract," he said. "Anyone would think he was leaving tomorrow. What we would like is for him to stay even longer. The future of our project revolves around him.
"Teams always depend largely on one great player. At one time it was Alfredo Di Stefano, later on it was Zinedine Zidane. Now it is clear the focus is on Ronaldo. There is nothing better than having the best player in the world in your team. We believe Ronaldo will go down in the club's history on a par with Di Stefano."
However, Pérez admitted that no formal talks have taken place. "We're always talking … if you're asking me if we've talked about money, then the answer is no. The time isn't right yet. That will wait until after he comes back from holiday."
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