Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has revealed the astronomical sum of money that it would cost to lure the Portuguese forward away from Real Madrid.
Mendes revealed that Ronaldo’s release clause is set at €1 billion, which equates to around $1.26 billion; give or take a few pennies. According to The Guardian, Mendes, who made the comments while talking to Spanish daily sports newspaper AS, also went on to declare that the cost of Ronaldo has put off potential buyers because, despite his obvious talents, it’s clear that not too many clubs in the world could actually afford him.
“I no longer get calls from anyone asking about Cristiano. It’s not worth them calling to ask for it. The price is that stated in his release clause – €1 billion.”
As The Inquisitr reported recently, Mendes went on to eulogize his client even further by declaring that not only is he “the best footballer in history, he is the greatest athlete of all time” too. Mendes even stated that there won’t be another specimen like Ronaldo for “the next 500 years,” while he believes that he could play on until he is 40.
“We will never find one like [Ronaldo]. It is true he is getting better and will continue to improve until he is 40. Cristiano has no limits. Besides being the best footballer in history, he is the greatest athlete of all time. There will be no one like him in the next 500 years.”
Whether Mendes’ comments regarding Ronaldo’s potential transfer fee will put Manchester United off trying to lure him back to Old Trafford remains to be seen.
There have been numerous rumors over the last few weeks that Ronaldo has become disillusioned at Madrid, even though he only won the Champions League with the club back in May, and that he wants to return to United.
Ronaldo previously played at United between 2003 and 2009. During this time, he scored 118 goals in 292 appearances and helped lead the Red Devils to three Premier League titles, the 2008 Champions League trophy and several other club and individual accolades too.
However, since Ronaldo left, United has changed quite drastically. Only a handful of players he played alongside remain at the club, while Sir Alex Ferguson has left as manager. Ferguson was first replaced by David Moyes, followed by Louis Van Gaal. The club’s fans are adamant that they want Ronaldo back, and they’ve even started to organize gestures to try and seduce him to Old Trafford again.
[Image via ESPN ]