Perez would ‘welcome’ Ronaldo — that’ll be £70m, thank you.

Prior to the Champions’ League final Ronaldo went on a PR crusade doing interviews affirming his decision to stay on at United. “Manchester is my home”, he would say. He even did a spoof interview, where he interviews himself with a choice selection of canned questions that journalists are wont to ask. Has his Real Madrid dream really ended?

Following our defeat to Barcelona, he went back to his old ways. “I don’t know about my future. My future is with the national team”.

There seems to be something brewing in Madrid. Florentino Perez, the president elect by default, has tried to distance himself from Ronaldo because he doesn’t want to be seen as carrying out the groundwork laid by Ramon Calderon, but more importantly, he obviously considers the sum — £70m reportedly agreed last December — a bit much considering his plan to bring a lot of stars to his side. He’s distanced himself until yesterday when he claimed he would welcome Ronaldo to Madrid. Of course he’s surely going to play hardball here by trying his best to get him at a price lower than the one agreed.

I am sick and tired of the Ronaldo saga, as much as he’s an outstanding player — I can’t let myself nod my head slavishly while he continues to treat a lot of people like shit.

Wednesday’s humbling gave Ferguson a few thoughts to chew over; just as he claimed he learned a lot from the humbling at Milan. Defeat tends to bring the best out of him and it could mean a freshening of approach in his side. If that means selling a player, however outstanding he may be, to save everyone’s sanity, then this is the deal he should go for.

I have my own selfish reasons for this: I want to be free from being subject to another tiresome saga in the summer. Perez, you can have Ronnie for £70m. Just give it and you’ll be golden.

Something tells me it won’t be quite as simple.