MADRID: Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon has reiterated his desire to sign Cristiano Ronaldo but has said that the club is merely an interested spectator in a dispute between the player and Manchester United.

"Of course we want Cristiano given the quality he has," Calderon said in an interview with Spanish sports daily AS on Wednesday.

"But there is a contractual problem which the player and Manchester have to resolve and not us ... The thing is the player has said publicly that his dream is to play for Madrid.

"I heard those words with pride and satisfaction, but Cristiano's departure does not depend only on him.

"It has not been us who have built up or knocked down this signing. Madrid is just a spectator in this comedy."

Calderon said the Spanish champion would have no problem in meeting the cost of signing Ronaldo. "We are in a very healthy financial position and we can carry out an operation of this nature without it affecting us.

"We don't want to appear like the wealthy who want to spend money just to show off, but we would do this deal on the basis that it could be profitable ..."

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson has stated categorically that Ronaldo will not be leaving the Premier League club.

Calderon said that a failure to sign the Portugal international would not disrupt the club's planning for next season and added that it was already close to signing Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart from SV Hamburg.

"He is a player that (Bernd) Schuster and the coaching staff like a lot and the deal is close," he said. "We are waiting to reach a definitive agreement with Hamburg, but it shouldn't be difficult."

Hamburg said last week that it had rejected an offer of 7 million euros ($10.91 million) for the player who is under contract to 2010.

Calderon denied that the club was also keen to sign Spain striker David Villa from Valencia.

"Forget it. There is no place for him even though he was a great player at Euro 2008 and his goals helped us become champions. We haven't got any space for another striker."

Source:China Daily/Agencies