Cristiano Ronaldo keen to move to Real Madrid

Madrid:

Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo hopes Real Madrid's presidential election on Sunday will help him secure a transfer to the Spanish powerhouse. Ronaldo said that he has welcomed approaches by representatives of candidate Juan Miguel Villar Mir aimed at persuading him to join the nine-time European champions. "I have told my agent that I would like to leave. I want to do so in the best way possible. I want to play for Madrid and I dream about it," said Ronaldo. Manchester United denied it gave Villar Mir permission to speak to Ronaldo and dismissed the reports as "a common occurrence in elections" at Madrid. "There has been no contact between Manchester United and (Villar Mir's) election team or Real Madrid, and any such suggestion is incorrect," said the club in a statement. "Cristiano Ronaldo will be a Manchester United player next season," asserted the club. A move would depend on United releasing the Portuguese winger from a contract that runs until 2010. Ronaldo said that he had been impressed by Villar Mir - a 74-year-old lawyer who was Spain's finance minister from 1975-76 and Madrid's vice president in the 1990s - and his running mate, rally driver Carlos Sainz. "They have explained their sports project and the next step is for them to talk to Manchester United to negotiate and when they reach an agreement. Then we will look at my situation and my contract," added Ronaldo. Villar Mir also confirmed on Tuesday that he wanted to sign Ronaldo. "With Cristiano Ronaldo everything is true. It's true that we are always acting with respect to FIFA regulations. Manchester knows we are talking to him. We are going in through the front door," said Villar. Ronaldo joined United from Sporting Lisbon in 2003 and was handed the number seven shirt vacated by David Beckham, who eventually left United for Madrid. (AP)