register to 888sport
888sport time:

General Sports News

Six-year Real deal for Ronaldo

Author: Sir David Smith
Date: 28/06/2009

Portugal international Cristiano Ronaldo will complete his transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid on Wednesday after agreeing a six-year-deal with the Spanish giants.

The 24-year-old will seal a world-record £80million transfer to Madrid next week and will finally be unveiled on July 6 by his new employers.

United accepted Madrid's offer for the World and European footballer of the year just over two weeks ago, but the deal has not been completed until now because the player was on holiday in Los Angeles.

In his six seasons at Old Trafford, Ronaldo scored 118 goals in 244 starts and 48 appearances from the substitute's bench.

Former Stockport County boss Jim Gannon has been given the chance to succeed Mark McGhee at Motherwell.

It had been thought that Gannon was set to return to Edgeley Park despite being axed by the cash-strapped club earlier in the year, but the proposed takeover of the Hatters has hit a snag.

McGhee left Fir Park to take charge at Aberdeen earlier this month.

Fuming Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish has slammed reports suggesting he did not want to sign Ecuadorian defender Giovanny Espinoza.

Espinoza's agent, Barry Silkman, had claimed in The Sun that he sealed the deal with City's co-owner David Sullivan after McLeish rejected the chance to sign the defender.

The newspaper said that McLeish was furious when he learned the transfer had gone through but, in a statement on City's official website, the former Scotland manager insists there is no rift at the club.

Meanwhile, Blackburn Rovers boss Sam Allardyce has revealed that he is interested in bringing Real Madrid striker Ruud van Nistelrooy to Ewood Park.

The former Bolton Wanderers and Newcastle United manager is keen to sign a replacement for Roque Santa Cruz who moved to Manchester City earlier this week and has identified the former Manchester United forward as his man.

Van Nistelrooy, who will be 33 next week, has scored 58 times in 85 appearances for Real but seems certain to leave the Spanish capital this summer following the big-money arrivals of Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka.

Finally in golf, Phil Mickelson has confirmed that he will not be playing in next month's Barclays Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.

Will Tiger Woods be able to clinch victory in next month's Open Championship? - Latest Golf Betting

Mickelson's wife, Amy, starts breast cancer treatment in the next few days and it seems unlikely that the world number two will be at Turnberry for The Open in three weeks' time.

online betting