Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
Manchester United target Sergio Ramos has agreed to sign a new five-year contract with Real Madrid.
The Spain World Cup winner will join club president Florentino Perez in a signing ceremony on Monday.
The Red Devils had a £28.6m bid for the 29-year-old defender rejected in June as contract talks stalled.
United are now unlikely to sign a new defender before the transfer window closes, while goalkeeper David De Gea, a Real target, is expected to stay.
The Old Trafford club have insisted they will only sell the 24-year-old Spain international to the La Liga side for a world-record fee for a goalkeeper, or if Ramos is part of a deal.
The current transfer window closes on 1 September.
Ramos, who scored an injury-time equaliser as Real beat rivals Atletico Madrid in the 2014 Champions League final, will be contracted to stay at Real until 2020.
He is the longest-serving player at the Bernabeu and was made captain by new manager Rafael Benitez in July after goalkeeper Iker Casillas left for Porto.
Ramos was signed from Sevilla in 2005 and has 128 caps for Spain, winning two European Championships and the 2010 World Cup.
Editor’s Note: I think this will be the end of any potential transfer sagas between Real Madrid and Manchester United this Summer. United will more than likely not be able to add to their defensive ranks between now and the end of August while Real Madrid will have to wait at least another 12 months to get David De Gea. The big question now is when will David De Gea win his first team place back, United are yet to concede with Sergio Romero keeping two clean sheets – will Louis Van Gaal think “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it” or will De Gea manage to work his way into the starting eleven on Saturday for the clash against Newcastle. I guess we will find out later this week.
