But - ouch! - the price is a little on the high side…

According to the Spanish COPE radio network, Manchester United have decided what they want for Ronaldo should the Spanish champions ever get round to actually calling about buying him. United will apparently be asking for 50 million Euros, plus Robinho, plus Sergio Ramos, plus Mahamadou Diarra.

Leaving aside for a moment the question of just how the Spaniards prised this information out of United, if indeed they ever did, that would price the world’s best player at 140 million Euros, or a little over GBP 110 million, and is likely to be a valuation that not even the Ronaldo-obsessed Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon would accept.

Ronaldo himself, meanwhile, interrupted preparations for Euro 2008 to travel to Porto to meet his agent. According to the pro-Madrid sports daily Marca - Spanish for shit-stirrer - “In Portugal they reckon Ronaldo is going to Madrid. In fact, they believe the reason for the meeting was for Ronaldo to let his agent know just how unhappy he is with United’s posture during this affair.”

No information was given as to what he could possibly be upset about, or why his agent anyone saw fit to report this unsubstantiated detail.