Cristiano Ronaldo is staying put.
The soccer superstar signed a three-year contract extension with Real Madrid on Sunday. The new deal pays Ronaldo £14.25 million ($22.6 million) per year and runs until 2018, according to the BBC.
Sunday’s news ends speculation about Ronaldo returning to Manchester United. The Portuguese forward had been linked with the Red Devils for much of 2013, but he said at a press conference that he has no plans to swap the Bernabeu for Old Trafford.
“Manchester United is the past. Real Madrid is now my home,” Ronaldo said. “I respect all the clubs who ask about me. But they always know that my decision, that my only goal, is to be here and to play at this club until, maybe, the end of my career.”
The 28-year-old joined Real Madrid from United for £80 million ($127 million) in 2009 and has become one of the Spanish club’s greatest-ever players. He has scored an astonishing 204 goals in 203 games and helped Real Madrid win the 2011 Copa del Rey (Spanish Cup) in 2011 and the La Liga (Spanish first division) title in 2011-12.
His previous contract was set to expire in 2015, and he had been locked in an apparent stand-off with club president Florentino Perez over his future. The two Real Madrid heavyweights settled their differences in August, and Ronaldo agreed in principle to extend his stay in the Spanish capital. Having signed a new contract, which makes him Spanish soccer’s highest-paid player, Ronaldo has set a simple target for himself.
“I’ll be here five more years. I just want to win trophies for this club,” he said.
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