With all the hullabaloo over Kaka's failed record-breaking transfer to Manchester City, it was easy to forget the speculation surrounding FIFA World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo's switch to Real Madrid.
According to reports, CR9 has been copyrighted, giving a clear indication that the Portuguese winger's time at Manchester United as CR7 is up, and that a move to Madrid was on the horizon.
Ronaldo though told The Independent that he "feels at home here," and has given the clearest indication that he is at Manchester United to stay.
"Everything that revolves around Cristiano Ronaldo is a bit of speculation," he stated. "Everything that I do generates a certain interest from the press and public.
"But 90 per cent of what is said and written about me stems from speculation. The only thing that is true is that I am happy at Manchester United.
"This is my home. Because I am winning things, because of friends, because of fans, I have always felt very loved.
"I feel at home here, it is a very lovely stage in my career, as much because of the coach, who has always supported me, as because of the players.
"I feel part of the furniture at United. I don't know what is going to happen tomorrow, but I feel very happy here."
He continued: "I never imagined playing at a club like Manchester United. I dreamed of Benfica, Porto and Sporting, but never arriving at this level."I always dreamed of being a professional footballer but never even thought about signing for a club like United, to the extent that even when they came to see me I thought nothing would come of it, but after it proved true that they were interested in me."
Aside from international honours, Ronaldo has won it all. Champions League, the Premier League, the FIFA Club World Cup, the FA Cup, and the League Cup, together with a plethora of seemingly never-ending individual awards.
"I have never counted them, but there is space for more still," he said. "I want to win more things.
"What I have already won is an incentive, but I want to win more.
"In two or three years from now I want to have another Golden Boot, another Ballon d'Or and, who knows, maybe another World Player of the Year award."
Alan Dawson, Goal.com
