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Ronaldo’s winter of discontent chills United

The dreary weather in England was a significant factor in dissuading Ronaldinho from joining Manchester United in the summer of 2003 and, as Sir Alex Ferguson was pressed yesterday on concerns that Cristiano Ronaldo may be pining for a warmer climate, it emerged that the Portugal winger — the best player in the world on present form, according to his manager — was at home in bed nursing a “heavy head cold”.

Ferguson and David Gill, the United chief executive, have dismissed suggestions that Ronaldo could move to Spain this summer, but, with Barcelona having joined Real Madrid in confirming interest in the 22-year-old, yesterday’s medical bulletin served only to heighten the belief, hinted at by the player, that a young man brought up on the island of Madeira would regard Spain as a more natural habitat.

Ronaldo has proved himself to be anything but a fair-weather player this season, maintaining an outstanding standard for United through the winter months. Ronaldinho has been widely acclaimed as the world’s best player since snubbing United to join Barcelona from Paris Saint-Germain 3½ years ago, but it is tempting to wonder whether Ferguson might have struck the better long-term deal by paying £12.24 million for a largely unknown 18-year-old from Sporting Lisbon.

Ferguson accepted for the first time yesterday that Ronaldo may be tempted by a move to sunnier climes, but he suggested that neither the Nou Camp nor the Bernabéu Stadium could match the newly expanded Old Trafford as a stage on which Ronaldo can exhibit his remarkable skills.

“The better climate is always an attraction, but when you think about it, look what you get from Manchester United,” Ferguson said. “We get 76,000 people in the stadium for every home game. You don’t get that anywhere else. I know Barcelona, Real Madrid and AC Milan can fill their stadiums when they have big games, but their stadiums are not full every week. Old Trafford is.

“Cristiano is at a good club and he knows it. There are no issues because I know the boy is happy here. I don’t need to sit down with Cristiano because in modern-day football, you have to accept that speculation will be rife.”

That speculation will continue, not least because there is a belief in both Barcelona and Madrid that the player can be enticed to Spain. The conspiratorial whispers grew on Tuesday after Jorge Mendes, Ronaldo’s agent, was pictured alongside the Barcelona sporting director, Txiki Begiristáin, at Portugal’s friendly against Brazil at the Emirates Stadium, but Ferguson said: “That doesn’t bother me. Clubs have to make agents feel wonderful. That is the name of the game.”

The name of the game for United at present is winning and, with Ronaldo hopeful of shrugging off his cold, another victory is expected when Charlton Athletic visit Old Trafford this afternoon.

Wayne Rooney should also be fit to face Alan Pardew’s team, having missed England’s midweek defeat by Spain because of a back problem, but Ferguson confirmed that the forward, who is suspended for next weekend’s FA Cup fifth-round tie at home to Reading, may be given a short break next week to recharge his batteries before the resumption of the Champions League campaign.

Ferguson also expressed his pleasure at Ben Foster’s debut for England and indicated that the goalkeeper, on loan to Watford, will pose a serious challenge to Edwin van der Sar when he returns to Old Trafford next season.