Cristiano Ronaldo says he wants to stay at Real Madrid after realising no-one will pay his high wage demands

The boy who cried United.

Cristiano Ronaldo's future has been the subject of much debate over recent weeks, as he tried to negotiate a new contract with Madrid, demanding a wage increase in line with Lionel Messi's pay packet. Many times in the past when Ronaldo has negotiated an improved contract with Real Madrid, he has used the threat of a romantic return to Manchester United as leverage to get himself a hefty wage increase. In a shocking turn of events, Ronaldo has now revealed that he wants to stay at Real Madrid. When it became clear to Ronaldo that United would rather sign Alexis Sánchez, a player three years his junior, and that no club was willing to meet his incredible €50m-per-year wage demands, he conveniently remembered just how much he loves living in the Spanish capital. "Of course, I want to stay here [at Real Madrid]," he said to Dongqiudi, a Chinese football app.

"I like living here. I've lived in this city since 2009 and I love the weather and the people. It's close to Portugal and you can get there by car. Spain is a great country, I love it."

There is no doubt the Portuguese still rates his ability, but there was a suggestion that he is acknowledging his decline, as he admitted: "Now, my plan to retire at 41 will probably be a bit more difficult to achieve, and now we live in the moment."