Madrid to Increase Ronaldo’s Salary To Stop Him From Leaving

Cristiano Ronaldo will be given a salary increase in order to keep him happy at Real Madrid, says club president, Fiorentino Perez.

Ronaldo transferred from Manchester United to Real Madrid in 2009 at a record fee of £80million (about $93million) He earns $20m annually at Madrid in salaries and bonuses, excluding endorsements. “We are going to do whatever is possible to make him happy. He is the best player in the world, without a doubt.

I would like him to be the best paid player in the world, and construct our team around him,” Perez said yesterday, in his first long interview after the exit of Coach Jose Mourinho. Real also want to keep veteran midfield anchorman, Xabi Alonso.

“He is one of the best that we have, as player and a person. To find a replacement for him in the future will be a problem, but we would still enjoy him being here for another year or so,” Perez added.

He admitted that he had tried to prevent Neymar from signing for Barcelona, but had to accept defeat when it was clear that the Brazilian youngster was determined to join the Catalans instead of Real, despite offering him a higher salary. Perez would also love to sign world player of the year, Lionel Messi, from Barcelona.

“If he was available then of course I would like to sign him,” he said. The Real Madrid president also denied that there was a dressing- room revolt against their controversial ex- Portuguese coach.

“The players only spoke well to me about Mourinho, they told me he was the best. I don’t think there was a revolt against him,” he said.