Ronaldo's bombshell - I don't know whether I'll stay at United

Cristiano Ronaldo has thrown Manchester United's Champions League Final preparations into disarray when he refused to commit his future to them.

Sportsmail can reveal Real Madrid are prepared to pay Ronaldo a staggering salary of £200,000 a week to join them.

United insist Ronaldo is not for sale, but Madrid are so determined to try to sign him this summer they are willing to offer United a transfer fee of at least £40million and make the Portuguese winger the best-paid player in the world.

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Question time: but Ronaldo?s answer does not seem to be to Ferguson?s liking

Real will be encouraged to step up their pursuit after Ronaldo revealed on Thursday that he will consider his position at Old Trafford once Wednesday's final against Chelsea in Moscow is out of the way.

Ronaldo said: "I am feeling happy here and I am feeling calm here. But let us see what happens after the Champions League Final. I am feeling happy but in the future I don't know."

United indicated their willingness to pay big money to keep their stars on Thursday when Rio Ferdinand agreed a new, five-year contract which will be worth £32.5m or £125,000 a week.

Ronaldo has enjoyed his best-ever season, scoring 41 goals as United retained their Barclays Premier League title and made it to their first Champions League Final since 1999.

But interest in the 23-year-old, from Real Madrid in particular, refuses to go away and the Spanish giants will be delighted to hear the details of a conversation he had with South American television station TV Aztec on Thursday.

Asked about his views on a move to Spain, Ronaldo said: "I have said a million times that I would like to play there, but it is one thing to dream and quite another to understand the reality.

"I don't know the club at all. But I know they like the way I play and I know that other teams in Spain like my game as well. It is good to know that they like my game, but I am happy here."

Ronaldo gave a 10-minute interview to the TV station, about half of which dealt with the thorny issue of his future.

Real general director Miguel Angel Arroyo spelled out his club's willingness to lavish record sums on their effort to sign Ronaldo.

He said: "Real Madrid have the solvency and the financial liquidity to be able to take on a signing of the magnitude of Ronaldo. It would be economically beneficial due to merchandising that would arise. If it is not possible it will not be because of money."

United are used to Real courting their player and will no doubt look to stress that Ronaldo did suggest yesterday that he is 'happy' at Old Trafford. They will also point out that he is under contract until 2012.

Nevertheless, the fact Ronaldo chose not to blank the questions outright will have set alarm bells ringing, particularly his suggestion that he will make some kind of decision after next week's final.

Asked if he liked the complimentary comments attributed to the Real president, Ronaldo said: "Of course I like that. It is nice to know that other clubs are interested in you."

It is unlikely Real will be able to lure Ronaldo away from United this summer. Old Trafford chief executive David Gill has already stressed that the Portugal international would not be for sale at any price. However, the publicity the player's comments will attract will not be helpful to United manager Sir Alex Ferguson as he prepares his team for the biggest game of their season.

Questioned about the importance Ronaldo to United, Ferguson said: "What more can I say about him? He has been phenomenal. To score that number of goals has been amazing, particularly for a wide player."

Having already secured the League title for the 10th time, the United boss was relaxed on Thursday and in no mood to react strongly to suggestions by Chelsea manager Avram Grant that United won the title because of decisions made by referee Steve Bennett in Sunday's decisive 2-0 win at Wigan.

Bennett failed to spot a Ferdinand handball in his own area in the first half, awarded a penalty to United and then chose not to send off Paul Scholes for a second bookable offence.

Ferguson said: "I don't know how those comments came about. But anyway, I don't think they were about last Sunday. I think they were said with next week in mind and next season.

"I could go on and on about decisions. We feel we did not get a lot of assistance. Maybe we should have been champions even before we went to Chelsea at the end of April.

"But all this is about next Wednesday. That is why Avram Grant is talking this way."

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