United can't stop Ronaldo leaving if I want: Madrid boss

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Madrid, Spain, May 22: : Cristiano Ronaldo is free to leave Manchester United if he wants, Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon said Thursday.

"Players play where they want. If a player decides to leave, he can't be stopped. Slavery was abolished some time ago," Calderon told Punto Radio.

In that case, Calderon said Madrid would consider United's asking price for Ronaldo, who helped his team win the Champions League on Wednesday.

"I have already said that if Manchester wants to sell him, we shall ask if he wants to come and if we can afford what they are asking," Calderon said.

The Spanish champion would almost certainly need to break the world's transfer record to sign Ronaldo, who is under contract until 2012. The current record was set in 2001 when Madrid signed Zinedine Zidane from Juventus for US$65 million (now euro41.2 million).

Spanish sports daily Marca said earlier this week that the winger has already expressed his wish to join Madrid, obliging United to hold transfer negotiations.

Ronaldo also appeared to suggest to a Spanish TV channel last week that he could depart United. He remained noncommittal after the final in which he headed United's 26th-minute goal in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea after extra time but missed a penalty in his team's 6-5 shootout win.

"I don't promise nothing, I don't promise nothing to my mum, I don't promise nothing to the supporters," Ronaldo said. "I want to stay, but the future, no one knows. I want to stay. We are going to see in the next two weeks, I don't say I make a decision." United coach Alex Ferguson and chief executive David Gill each said before the final they expected Ronaldo, who has scored 42 league and cup goals this season, to stay at the club.

After United had clinched its third European Cup title, United's assistant coach Carlos Quieroz also echoed the belief the star player would remain.

"Without doubt, he is going to stay on with us. He's very happy, we have a contract with him and we're not afraid that he'll leave," Quieroz said.

However, Marca, which has close ties to Madrid, said Thursday that the Spanish club could make a direct approach to United's American owner Malcom Glazer.

The paper said Glazer would be more interested in the financial implications of Ronaldo's possible transfer than its effect on the playing staff.