CRISTIANO RONALDO will not get a penny more out of Manchester United in return for staying at the club, David Gill, United’s chief executive, has said. Sources close to Ronaldo had suggested he could be persuaded to abandon thoughts of a transfer to Real Madrid if United improved his £120,000-a-week contract, but no such compromise will be proposed. Gill labelled as “lunacy” the figure of £170,000 a week that Real Madrid are reported to be willing to pay the player. Gill is calling on Ronaldo to show some commitment and loyalty" by honouring the five-year deal he signed in 2007.

In a briefing in Cape Town, where United arrived on Friday to start a 10-day tour of South Africa and Nigeria, Gill was emphatic when asked whether Ronaldo would be offered a new contract. No,” he said. “He only entered into the previous contract 18 months before and in terms of where he’s at in our wage hierarchy he’s doing pretty well.” Regarding suggestions Ronaldo’s flirtation with Real is partly to get a higher salary from United, Gill said: “Possibly, but not necessarily, and if the figures bandied around that Real Madrid are talking about are true, we wouldn’t go anywhere near that. That would be lunacy.”

Gill revealed he is being encouraged to stand firm on Ronaldo by the Glazer family, who own United, but said Sir Alex Ferguson is “the key determiner of our stance”. Ferguson, having flown to Portugal to hold talks with Ronaldo, told a press conference in Cape Town that “he’ll be a Manchester United player next season. He won’t be sold”. Gill said: “The player is under contract so the strength and the rights are with Manchester United. I think we’ve been pretty clear all along that Ronaldo has got a contract until 2012, he’s a valuable member of the team and that’s the situation. Obviously there’s some issues there, but that’s for Alex and is why Alex had the meeting, to discuss things and put our point of view. I’m sure Cristiano put his point of view and hopefully we can move forward.

“All we were doing, effectively, is saying we clearly have a player who is one of the best in the world. He entered into a new contract, his third with us, only 18 months after his previous one. With that, we believe, go some responsibilities and obligations. There was an increased salary and we clearly feel there has to be some commitment and loyalty and he can’t just say, ‘I’ve entered into it, but I’ll leave a year down the line’, especially after the season we’ve just had. It’s a two-way street and contracts are entered into with a view to getting that kind of commitment.”

Gill said Ronaldo, on an extended holiday while recovering from an ankle operation, would be welcomed back, even though his public statements about wanting to move to Real have angered many United fans: “Alex feels comfortable that Ronaldo will come back and feel integrated very quickly and win over the fans. If he starts scoring goals then people will forget.”

Rio Ferdinand echoed his chief executive: “There’ll be no problems with the players accepting Ronaldo. Cristiano himself is a fantastic lad, a great guy, someone who gets on with everyone in the squad. He never has any problems with anyone in the squad and I’m sure that will be the same when he comes back.”

Ferdinand revealed he has been in close contact with Ronaldo: “I’ve spoken to him on the phone and there have been texts. He’s in good spirits. The conversations will remain private but I want him to stay. I'm just the same as any United fan - Cristiano scored 42 goals for us last season.

“For most players it’s flattering when someone else wants you and are prepared to go to great lengths to get you. But he’s not a silly boy and he understands he’s signed for Man United and until Man United deem it’s time for him to go he will remain a Man United player. At the end of the day it’s simple. It’s down to the club.”

Ronaldo will return to join a group of players hell-bent on repeating their success of last season.

“We’ve got the same hunger,” Ferdinand said. “We want to retain the titles we hold. After the Champions League final I heard different players talking in different conversations and they were already thinking about next season and the next things we’re going to win.”