United test Real’s resolve with S$63 million Ramos bid

LONDON — Manchester United have tested Real Madrid’s resolve to keep unsettled defender Sergio Ramos with a bid of more than £30 million (S$63.5 million).

United have been given further encouragement that Ramos is prepared to quit Real this summer with the sense that the 29-year-old not only feels under-valued, but is no longer wanted.

United had expected to try and negotiate a straight swap deal involving goalkeeper David De Gea, who is wanted by Real, but appear to have decided they will strike quickly and sign Ramos separately.

The Spain international met Real officials on Wednesday morning and did not give the club any assurances he wanted to stay. That has helped United submit their bid.

It may well be that during the course of talks the issue of including De Gea in a deal is raised, but United are clear they do not value Ramos — because of his age — at close to the £46 million that Real are expected to demand for him. Neither do they want to give Real De Gea and cash, either.

United are also wary Ramos and his advisers might be using their interest as leverage for the player — who has two years left on his present deal — to wrangle an improved contract out of Real, but they are not concerned about that. The worst-case scenario for them is that Ramos stays at Real, and they exact the price they want for De Gea.

At the same time United are serious in their pursuit of Ramos who they regard as the ideal defensive leader and a ball playing, right-sided centre-half that manager Louis Van Gaal believes they need.

Real’s chief executive Jose Angel Sanchez met Ramos and his brother and agent Rene Ramos at the club’s Valdebebas training ground on Wednesday to ascertain his intentions, but did not get the assurances he wanted.

Pedro Riesco, who works alongside Rene Ramos, appeared to suggest that Ramos’ departure was inevitable although, again, this could be brinksmanship.

He told Radio Marca: “With everything that has happened it will be very difficult for Sergio Ramos to stay at Madrid.” Difficult but not yet impossible, although United are working to see if that can be turned to their advantage.

Real may be looking at alternatives for Ramos, with new coach Rafael Benitez thought to want Arsenal’s Laurent Koscielny to partner fellow French international Raphael Varane. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH