From todays Telegraph
El Mundo newspaper reports that Pedro Trapote, who they claim is an associate of Real President Ramn Caldern, let the details of the deal slip in a conversation with journalists.
Real’s pursuit of the Ballon D’Or winner dominated the summer. But United eventually claimed victory, fending off interest from the reigning Spanish champions, despite the Portuguese winger professing a desire to one day wear the white shirt of the Madrid club.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson became increasingly frustrated by the tactics of the Spanish club, who often used the Madrid-based press to leak information and aid the capture of high profile transfer targets.
Caldern claimed at the end of the summer that Real would not pursue the player again until United were willing to do business though maintained the club were still interested in the player.
But El Mundo look to have reignited the row ahead of the January transfer window.
“If you are asking me what we are going to do now then I would tell you that we have already signed the best player for the summer,” Trapote is quoted as saying after Real’s recent league defeat to Barcelona.
It is unclear if he knew the conversation was being recorded.
“The best of the best. It is Cristiano, there is no other. It is better that we do not say anything at the moment though."
“Why can you not say anything. It is the best time because things are going badly and people need something to excite them in the middle of all this,” suggested the reporter.
“No,” replied Trapote, “it is best to not say anything because there are some clauses that prevent us from announcing it now. For us it would be a good time, but should not do that. But it is not bad, eh?”
The veracity of the report has yet to be confirmed by either club but Ferguson is likely to be enraged by the timing of the leak as he prepares his side to play in the Club World Cup in Japan before returning to England to a busy domestic programme and a probable large points deficit in the Premier League.