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Real Madrid star defender Sergio Ramos is close to signing a contract with Real Madrid that is expected to keep him at the Estadio Santiago till 2020, according to The Guardian. The Spaniard was linked with a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu this summer after reports claimed that he was unhappy with having not received a pay rise.
Sources close to the player and the club said that, Ramos, his brother and agent Rene Ramos, Madrid’s director Jose Angel Sanchez and president Florentino Perez are to meet next week to finalize the deal after successfully negotiating through back channels.
Manchester United started showing their interest in the Spaniard close to the beginning of this summer transfer window. Representatives from Real Madrid had come to Old Trafford to discuss a deal for David de Gea. It was believed that the Old Trafford officials wanted Ramos in an exchange deal for their ace goalkeeper.
The 28-year-old made United’s request more feasible when he later on revealed his intent to leave Madrid. The club received two formal bids from Manchester United, but the club told him that they had no intention of selling him under any circumstances in a meeting in China the following month.
Perez: Ramos shall not leave
Blancos president Florentino Perez revealed that Ramos had the chips in his favour, as the sales of Iker Casillas had angered the Real Madrid fans, and the loss of another monumental figure would put the club in disarray.
On the day Casillas left, Perez said: “There are some players with contracts who want to go who will not be allowed to.”
Ramos’ new deal is believed to see the player earn €9m per annum, which is a €3m raise from his present €6m deal.
The player’s representative revealed that the player wanted to leave but didn’t want to push Madrid into the sale by making a public statement. He also said that another reason Ramos chose to remain quite was so that he wouldn’t damage his relationship with the fans if he were to end up staying at the Bernabeu
Manchester United, who were hoping to sign the World Cup winning defender, will now have to look at other options to strengthen their defense. Argentina international Nicolas Otamendi, who is currently a centre-back for Valencia, is also in their priority list.
Another player United has shown interest in recently is Everton defender John Stones, who has been in Chelsea’s radar for quite a while.
