Christiano Ronaldo Commits to Red Devil Next Season

Ferguson was sympathetic to Ronaldo's response to the interest from Real.

The Scot said that the fans have got to understand it's very hard when Ronaldo's tempted by all this money.

Ronaldo is a young lad from Madeira and his father died a young man. Cristiano Ronaldo now looks after his mother, sister and his brother, so Ferguson can understand that money may have been tempting.

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon hinted on Tuesday that the long-running saga had come to an end.

Calderon said the Primera Liga club's new Dutch signing Rafael van der Vaart was "the first and almost certainly the last signing we will make this season". The saga had been partly fuelled by comments from Ronaldo, who said during Euro 2008: "The possibilities (of going to Real) are big but it doesn't depend on me.

A most valuable player for United, Ronaldo scored 42 goals last season and was named England's Footballer of the Year for a second successive time.

Publico said on its website (www.publico.clix.pt) that Christiano Ronaldo had decided to stay at Manchester United and that the full interview would be published on Thursday but did not give any direct quotes.