If there's one man that knows Cristiano Ronaldo inside Real Madrid, it's Ramón Calderón. The former Real Madrid president, who has to take credit for the Portuguese ace's signature with Los Blancos before his resignation, revealed that CR7's "threat" to leave the club shouldn't be "taken lightly", and any intention to downplay his words would be a big mistake.
In an interview published by The Mirror, Calderón shared details about the negotiation that ended with Ronaldo becoming a legend with Los Blancos. Needless to say, his love for Manchester United complicated his transfer to the Bernabeu.
"He likes Manchester United - that is something we all know. One year before he was going to come, he told me that he was really grateful to Manchester United, the fans, the people there, his teammates - everything in the city," Calderón stated.
"He is very strong-minded and when he decides something he goes through with it. The point now is whether he really has decided to leave," the former exec added.
Later in the interview, Calderón left a glimmer of hope for Real fans who want to see the striker retire wearing a Los Blancos jersey.
"I think he will stay. I hope so. It would be very bad business to sell him. It doesn’t matter what we can get for him. There is no replacement for him. I don’t see anybody in world football who can substitute for him. I hope and wish he can stay with us until he retires," Calderón concluded.
