Ferguson: Ronaldo was always going to leave

Alex Ferguson believes Manchester United did well to keep Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford for as long as they did before finally succumbing to Real Madrid's advances.

United's acceptance of Madrid's £80m bid for the Portugal playmaker earlier this week brought an end to one of the longest-running transfer sagas of recent years.

Ronaldo's desire to leave the reigning three-time Premier League champions had become all too apparent in recent months, and Ferguson insists it was out of the question to expect the player to stay any longer.

"He wanted to leave, it's as simple as that," Ferguson told The Mail on Sunday.

"He was going to go some time. We've done well to keep him for so long."

Madrid's record swoop for the FIFA World Player of the Year is set to be concluded by June 30.