Cristiano Ronaldo jokes with team staff members during a training session of the Portuguese national team in Neuchatel, Switzerland yesterday - AP

NEUCHATEL, Switzerland (AP):

CRISTIANO RONALDO would like to play for Real Madrid if the Spanish club is indeed willing to open up its bank account.

"Yes, I would like to play for Real Madrid," Ronaldo told Brazil's Terra website yesterday.

"But only if it is true that they are willing to spend with me and with Manchester United the amount they are saying they are. But it's not up to me."

The star winger did not elaborate.

Ronaldo had been silent about his future since Portugal arrived in Neuchatel for this month's European Championship. He said recently that he would soon announce his plans for the future, but apparently changed his mind after arriving in Switzerland.

"It's important to a send a message," he said, according to Terra, "Starting today, I don't talk about this subject with absolutely no one. I will only talk about this after the Euros."

The world's media have been speculating on Ronaldo's future for months, with Madrid reportedly willing to pay a world-record transfer fee for the favourite to win FIFA's 2008 World Player of the Year award.