Sergio Ramos said there is no club in the world that can afford to purchase Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer transfer window, while Manchester United target Robert Lewandowski said his future would be made clear at the end of the season.
Ronaldo has been linked with a move back to Old Trafford for quite a while now, with United reportedly readying a bid by seeking assistance from their sponsors. The forward has also reportedly piqued the interest of French powerhouses Paris Saint Germain.
The Portuguese superstar himself has refused to commit his future to Real Madrid, although he has repeatedly said he would like to honor his current contract, which will have two years remaining come the end of the season.
Ronaldo, however, has also expressed his admiration for United and has said on a few occasions that he misses playing for the English Premier League champions.
The former FIFA World Player of the Year has a €1 billion (£844 million, $1.3 billion) release clause inserted in his contract, and Ramos believes there is no club that will be willing or able to reach that mark.
"You have to see which club has €1bn to pay what he is worth," the defender told reporters with a smile.
"He should be in Madrid and he is happy here."
The release clause is of course a token one, and it would take considerably less to sign Ronaldo; but all will depend on whether the 28-year-old wants to leave the Bernabeu at the end of the season or not.
With Sir Alex Ferguson, Ronaldo's mentor, retiring after this season, it does look unlikely, if not impossible, that the player will return to Old Trafford.
Meanwhile, another United target for the summer transfer window - Lewandowski - has refused to be drawn out on the rumors surrounding his future.
Lewandowski has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford, with Ferguson also on a couple of occasions expressing his interest in the 24-year-old.
However, it is believed Bayern Munich have already agreed a move for the Polish international, whose contract with Borussia Dortmund expires in 2014.
Lewandowski and Dortmund will play Bayern in the Champions League final in a little over a weeks' time, and the striker said he is only concentrating on the current season at the moment and his future will be made clear in the summer.
"I have only one thing on my mind," he told TVN 24. "A transfer is not the issue for me at the moment.
"You have to wait until the end of the season. I think everything will become clear."
