Real Madrid President: Sergio Ramos Asked to Leave for Free to Chinese Club

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has admitted that Sergio Ramos asked to be allowed to leave for free this summer to a Chinese club.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has admitted that Sergio Ramos asked to be allowed to leave for free this summer to a Chinese club.

Speaking on Onda Cero (via Marca), Perez confirmed rumors that the Real captain had an offer on the table from a club that would have required him to leave the Spanish capital for nothing – a situation the president insisted he could not support. 

He is quoted as saying: "Nothing happened. His people have told me that there is a very good offer from a Chinese club, but that they couldn't pay a transfer fee because there are some rules about having to pay double for transfers.

"What else can I tell him apart from that it's impossible for Real Madrid to let their captain leave for free? It would also be a dangerous precedent. And that's that, it was all cordial. I love Ramos a lot and have done all I can for him. If I haven't done more then it's because I couldn't."

He also called Cristiano Ronaldo the best player he ever signed for the club and denied that the way the club dealt with the Portuguese forward's tax troubles had anything to do with his move to Juventus last summer. 

Perez, famously, had nothing to do with tempting Ronaldo to the Spanish capital – all the work done by then-outgoing president Roman Calderon – but appeared happy to take credit for his predecessor's success. 

"I think he already had it quite clear that he wanted new challenges. He used that moment to say it, but I think he'd been thinking about it for some time. He never created any problems during the nine years at Real Madrid, never once arriving late or anything.

"I think he's the best player I signed for Real Madrid. I always had a great relationship with him. We never had any problems, not even over money. We never talked about his [tax] debt."