Real Madrid in talks about Manchester United player

Real Madrid, which has been linked with Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo, is in talks with the English Premier League champion about a player, a Real spokesman said.

"There are some negotiations," Jose Luis Lopez Serrano said in an interview in Nyon, Switzerland at the draw for the Champions League. "In a few days, it will be known."

Serrano wouldn't identify the Manchester United player. On Dec. 17, El Mundo reported that Ronaldo, the reigning Ballon d'Or winner as soccer's top player, will join the Spanish champion next year.

United manager Alex Ferguson said yesterday Madrid has "no chance" of signing Ronaldo, who was also linked with a move to Spain prior to the season, adding, "I would not sell them a virus."

"The clubs have always had a traditionally friendly relationship," Serrano said. "If a manager says things, it doesn't mean we aren't still friends."

It's the latest friction between the clubs after United complained to world ruling body FIFA in June, saying Madrid "continued to involve itself in the future" of the Portuguese forward. Madrid denied wrongdoing at the time, saying it hadn't held talks with Ronaldo.

FIFA took no action and instead asked the Spanish soccer federation to remind the team about the "potential legal consequences" of inducing Ronaldo to break his United contract.

"We have a great ability to think about ourselves and get on with it," Manchester United's Philip Townsend said in Switzerland today. "We just concentrate on what we're doing."

Spanish newspaper Marca reported today that Madrid had provisionally agreed to buy 88 million pounds ($132 million) in euros yesterday in case it acquires Ronaldo. The agreement would make Ronaldo about 17 million euros cheaper than if Madrid had bought him at the exchange rate in June, the newspaper said.