Football Talk - Casillas fed up with Cristiano Ronaldo speculation - 12/05/09
Iker Casillas has told Real Madrid to give up on their interest in Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo.
Ronaldo was strongly linked with a switch to the Santiago Bernabeu last summer but United boss Sir Alex Ferguson stood firm over the winger's future. Cristiano Ronaldo recently suggested that his "Real dream is dead", but speculation continues to suggest Madrid could return with a fresh offer in the summer. However, goalkeeper Casillas said:
"Ronaldo and (Milan playmaker) Kaka are great players but we don't have to keep returning to these names. What we need is a team that compete with Barcelona and one player doesn't change a team. I believe a team always forms together and there cannot be a player that changes everything. If we pay €100million for Ronaldo it's because he's worth it. But with the economic crisis it is peculiar that in football we talk of these astronomical figures."
Casillas also suggested Real turn to home-grown talent, rather than spend extravagantly on overseas targets. The 27-year-old said: "The Spanish national team are great and my team-mates at international level are fantastic, that is clear. I have always believed in the Spanish player and right now they are playing great football."
