Ron's EPL top earner with $1m a week deal

LONDON • Cristiano Ronaldo will earn more than £560,000 (S$1.03 million) a week as part of his two-year contract with Manchester United, Telegraph Sport reported yesterday, without saying where it got the information.

It would make him the highest-paid player in the English top flight. The deal is worth as much as £19.7 million and ends earlier attempts by rival club Manchester City to recruit the player, the newspaper reported.

The English giants announced an agreement with Juventus to acquire the 36-year-old Portuguese star on Friday.

According to talkSport, City playmaker Kevin de Bruyne was the highest-paid player in the English top flight at £385,000 a week before Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford.

The Red Devils will pay Juventus an initial £12.85 million with a further £6.85 million in add-ons for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, depending on the club and player's performance.

His return to United comes about 12 years after he left the team to play for Spanish giants Real Madrid.

The deal sent shares of United 5.8 per cent higher in New York trading on Friday, after the club confirmed his transfer, pending agreement of personal terms, visa and medical check.

Ronaldo is expected to play his first game of the season against Newcastle at home on Sept 11 after the international break.

He scored 118 goals in 292 matches for United when he last played for the club from 2003-09.

BLOOMBERG