Albiol hoping Ronaldo stays at Madrid

Real Madrid defender Raul Albiol is hoping speculation linking Cristiano Ronaldo with a move away from the Bernabeu proves unfounded, describing his team-mate as the best player on the planet.

Ronaldo’s future with Madrid has been under the spotlight since the Portugal international admitted earlier this season he was “sad” for professional reasons while Spanish newspaper AS yesterday claimed the £80million man would not be signing a new contract with the Spanish giants. His current deal runs out in 2015.