Manchester United have warned fans not to donate to an internet-based campaign tagged ‘BringRonaldoHome’.
Manchester Evening News (MEN) reports that a group of Australian Red Devil supporters, fronted by one Stockport ex-pat, Lee Clough, have launched a drive to raise the fund needed to re-sign the 28-year-old Portuguese winger from Real Madrid.
They believe the movement, which sees supporters deposit initial donations of £10 can add up to the reported £100m required to trigger Ronaldo’s buyout clause in his present contract.
A spokesman of United told MEN: “Manchester United will like to remind fans that decisions over additions to the squad will be made by manager and the manager alone. We would not want any of our supporters to be under a false impression that anything other than this would ever be the case.”
The campaign, which was launched last month claims to have reached 5,019 pledges. When contacted, the leader of the group, Clough said the £10 deposits will, if the bid is successful, eventually be exchanged for a new United shirt with Ronaldo’s name and number on the back.
That being the case, when asked where the transfer fee was going to come from, he said the group could “not reveal our strategy in full.”
He added that most of the money raised will go to the club and Ronaldo’s transfer fee, but claimed the success of the campaign was dependent upon Nike (kits manufacturers) and Manchester United.
Mr. Clough promised that if the movement failed, every £10 deposits will be returned to the respective fans in full.
“We are a good group of people who have put an amazing amount of effort into this project,” said Clough.
Ronaldo has two years left in his present contract, yet to sign a new deal with the Los Blancos.
