Brazilian striker Ronaldo, whose future at
Real Madrid has been the centre of intense speculation, has said he
wants to stay at the Spanish giants for several years to come.
"I am extremely happy at Real Madrid. I want to stay with the club for
many years," said Ronaldo.
The Brazilian was talking after receiving the Golden Foot award,
presented annually to a footballer over 29 years old who stands out for
their sports results and personality.
The three-time world player of the year and leading all-time World Cup
goal scorer saw a move to AC Milan fall through last week after the two
clubs failed to agree on a fee.
According to newspaper reports Friday, Ronaldo is still wanted by
Milan's city rivals Inter and if he was to head for Italy, Real would
swoop for Frenchman David Trezeguet from Juventus.
According to the AS sporting daily, Ronaldo - under contract with Real
until 2008 with an annual net salary of 7.5 million euros - is
attempting to renegotiate his image rights with the new management of
the La Liga runners-up.
Real, who signed Ronaldo in 2002 with Florentino Perez at the helm, own
70 percent of those rights, worth six million euros a year, according to
AS.
Ronaldo wants to increase his share, while AC Milan offered him a
five-year contract worth 45 million euros and full image rights, the
newspaper said. |