Transfer news: Real Madrid will block Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Manchester United, says Jose Mourinho

Mourinho said that he believed the Spanish club would do everything they could to keep the player this summer

Sam Wallace
Monday 22 July 2013 11:51 BST
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Real Madrid will block Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Manchester United, says Jose Mourinho
Real Madrid will block Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Manchester United, says Jose Mourinho (EPA)

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Jose Mourinho says that he believes Cristiano Ronaldo will not be coming back to Manchester United because Real Madrid will block any attempt by the player to leave for at least another season.

Having managed Ronaldo for three years, Mourinho, whose relationship with the player had deteriorated by the time he left last month, said that he believed the Spanish club would do everything they could to keep the player this summer. Ronaldo tweeted last month that negotiations to extend his contract, which runs out in 2015, had not gone anywhere which gave encouragement to United.

Mourinho’s Chelsea squad travel to Jakarta tomorrow having beaten a Malaysian select XI 4-1 on Sunday, their second win on tour in Asia. They play their final game in Asia, against an Indonesia XI in Jakarta, on Thursday. The squad then fly to the United States next week for four games with their remaining six players – Fernando Torres, Juan Mata, David Luiz, Oscar, Cesar Azpilicueta ande John Obi Mikel - having joined up by then.

On Ronaldo, Mourinho said that he believed the player would stay at Real Madrid. Asked about the specifics of a deal with United, Mourinho said he had “no idea” but when it came to the wider question of Ronaldo leaving Madrid, the Chelsea manager was clear.

He said: “What I know is that Real Madrid is such a rich club they don’t need to sell and it is such a rich club I think they can beat any offer a club can have on Ronaldo. I know Ronaldo loves Man United and I know he loves the Premier League but I think he is going to stay. It’s just a feeling, no contact, nothing just a feeling.”

Ronaldo scored two goals at Dean Court on Sunday where the Spanish side won 6-0 in a friendly against Bournemouth. After the match, Carlo Ancelotti, the new Madrid manager, said that he believed Roandlo would stay at the club this season. He said: “I think Ronaldo is the most important player in this team because he is the player with the best quality," he said.

"I think we will help him every time to do his best because if he does that every time we have a great opportunity for this season. His future is at Real Madrid, there is no question about this."

The Chelsea medical staff will be checking on the state of Kevin De Bruyne’s injury this morning after the Belgium international, impressive in his first two appearance in the club’s tour of Asia, was carried off after 36 minutes in Kuala Lumpur. The 22-year-old has drawn high praise from Mourinho and looks set to be a key figure next season having first signed in January last year and spent last season on loan at Werder Bremen.

De Bruyne tweeted this morning that his knee and ankle were “feeling ok for the moment”. He added: “Always stay positive. Waiting for tomorrow. Then we will know more.” Mourinho said after the game that early suggestions were that it was not a serious ligament problem although he is unlikely to play in Friday’s final Asia tour game in Jakarta.

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