Ferguson is unconcerned by the stories emanating from Spain about the amount of money Real Madrid may be about to offer for Ronaldo, or from Portugal where the player's mother seems to have been recruited to plead the Bernabeu club's case.

"We haven't spoken to him about Real Madrid," Ferguson says. "There's no need, we know he's happy here. He says his mother never spoke to anyone in any case. That story is nonsense."