LONDON (AP):

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson says Cristiano Ronaldo's long-standing desire to leave the club was the biggest reason for his record-breaking move to Real Madrid.

The two clubs expect to complete for the £80-million ($131 million) transfer before the end of June, a year after United had successfully fended off an earlier high-profile bid by Madrid for the Portugal winger.

"He wanted to leave, it is as simple as that," Ferguson told British weekly Mail yesterday.

"He was going to go sometime. We've done well to keep him for so long."

Ronaldo, FIFA's World Player of the Year, was signed for £12 million from Sporting Lisbon in 2003 as an 18-year-old talent.