Soccer:Real Madrid have refused to give up on Cristiano Ronaldo, despite him signing a new five-year deal with Manchester United. The Madrid press has long insisted Ronaldo will be joining Real next season and the club have made no secret of the fact that he is their number-one target.

Although there was surprise in the Spanish capital yesterday, sources in Madrid say Ronaldo's new deal at Old Trafford changes little - it is, rather, merely a strategy for Manchester United to increase his value in the summer. The winger's bank balance will be swelled by £30 million over the next five years but nobody at Manchester United will surely begrudge him a penny if he can live up to Alex Ferguson's billing as a footballer who will be bracketed with Pele and Diego Maradona.

"That is in front of him," said Ferguson after announcing a deal that makes Ronaldo the highest-paid player in United's history. "He is 22 and he has the same skill factor as Pele and Maradona, obviously. Pele played in a World Cup final at 17, which is extraordinary, and Maradona played in two World Cup finals and was the player of his era. But Cristiano is definitely getting to the stage where he is the best player in the world."

United's joy is Madrid's anguish after a concerted campaign from the Bernabeu to persuade Ronaldo he could become the focal point of their team. So strong was Madrid's belief Ronaldo had set his heart on moving to La Liga that even Ferguson admitted last night to misgivings because "they keep talking in Spain the way they do and unsettling clubs like ourselves".

Ronaldo, however, says he never gave Madrid any promises.

"Everything is perfect for me in Manchester," he said, showing off his new £120,000-a-week contract at the club's training ground. "I am at the right club and that is why I have signed. I have learned a lot here and I am very happy."

The response from Madrid was typically defiant, informing the Spanish media in private briefings that they can still persuade Ronaldo to break his contract. Franco Baldini, assistant to the sporting director, Predrag Mijatovic, was philosophical yesterday.

"That just means he would cost us more," he said.

But United are now in a position to laugh that off. "I don't think Madrid have a care for Manchester United or anyone else," said Ferguson. "They put their net out for the best players in the world and when it (the speculation) goes on and on and on, you start worrying about the substance and the source of it. But you know that's the game they play because it seems to happen time and time again."

Bayern Munich may consider that a bit rich after Ferguson's pursuit of Owen Hargreaves but United feel so strongly about Madrid's scheming they briefly considered complaining to Uefa.

"There is no point," said Ferguson. "I don't think it would do any good. I don't think it would matter to them if Uefa fined them." Far more satisfying for United's manager is the knowledge that Ronaldo is tied to Old Trafford until 2012.

"He is happy here and his family is happy here," said Ferguson. "He is at the right club. He plays in front of 76,000 people every week and the English league is the strongest in the world. The Spanish teams may have dominated in the early 2000s but the English clubs have gradually got above them and the form of Real Madrid and Barcelona hasn't been that good this season.

"Essentially there was no reason for him to think about leaving, other than that thing about people perceiving Real Madrid as galacticos or whatever the hell it is they call themselves. They have a preconceived notion of themselves at Madrid.

"Barcelona are a fantastic club but you can't say either of them are ahead of Manchester United. We never discussed these clubs in the negotiations. It was only about two things: does the boy want to stay and how much is it going to cost us?"

Ferguson thanked the club's chief executive, David Gill, for "coming into his own" but it is a major triumph for the manager, too. This afternoon (5.30) Ferguson's side continue their three-pronged pursuit of major trophies when they face Watford in the FA Cup semi-final at Villa Park.

• Guardian Service