REAL MADRID’S efforts to prise Cristiano Ronaldo away from Manchester United, which have infuriated the Premier League champions, have been described as “normal” by Uefa president Michel Platini. The Frenchman said: “Big clubs want to have the best players, and as Ronaldo is considered one of the best, if not the best, it’s normal.

“Every club in the world would like to have Ronaldo. It’s part of the system we have today. Players move from club to club and I can understand why Real Madrid want him.”

The Spanish giants’ pursuit of the Portugal winger has so enraged United that they reported Real to Fifa. United’s chief executive David Gill will refuse to discuss Ronaldo with the Real president, Ramon Calderon, when they come face to face at a club forum in Switzerland next week. It is thought that Real, who have had no contact with United over Ronaldo despite suggestions yesterday they had offered £55m plus Wesley Sneijder in exchange, hope to use the meeting to begin informal talks about a transfer.

Gill will rebuff any attempt to do so amid signs his club are increasingly confident of keeping their star player.

United believe their main role in the summer transfer window will be as buyers rather than sellers and helping Sir Alex Ferguson acquire a new striker, with Dimitar Berbatov the leading target, will be at the top of Gill’s in-tray when he returns from holiday tomorrow.

Ferguson, who is also officially back at work tomorrow, is steadfast about ignoring any approach from Real over Ronaldo, who has four years left on his £120,000-a-week contract, and is sufficiently relaxed as to inform the player he does not have to report back to training until July 14. It was reported United would demand Ronaldo return earlier, with Ferguson anxious to have the 23-year-old under his supervision after a period away with Portugal at Euro 2008 during which he was persuaded to go public about his “dream” of moving to Real. Ferguson, like Gill, however, believes there is “nothing to talk about”.

After his club were reported to Fifa for making what United perceive to be unsettling public statements regarding Ronaldo, Calderon said yesterday: “Manchester United is a friend,” and added, “Real Madrid can do nothing if they don’t want to sell their player”. However, any smoothing of relations will not lead to transfer talks, Gill is making clear.

Calderon and Gill are to attend the first meeting of the new European Club Association (ECA) in Nyon on July 7 – the date, ironically, that Real’s pet newspaper, Marca, has announced is set aside for unveiling Ronaldo at the Bernabeu.

On Wednesday Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the Bayern Munich chairman and ECA chairman-elect, said it would be “dangerous for football” if Real were able to force the transfer and signalled United will have support in standing firm from fellow top European clubs. “I’m not worried about the case because the rules are clear and United have a very strong contract with the player for the next four years,” said Rummenigge. “I can’t believe a club like Real can force a player like Ronaldo to cause such tension because the price they will have to pay is too high for everyone. I think that is dangerous for world football.”

Arsenal face a similar battle over Emmanuel Adebayor. He has three years left on his contract and Arsène Wenger is determined to keep him in the face of interest from AC Milan and Barcelona. The two are due for talks this week and the player will have to explain an interview in which he indicated a desire to move. “He [Wenger] put me where I am today, but if he sells me, and what they are saying in the papers is right, they [Arsenal] are going to get €50m (£39.5m) for me, maybe €60m and they bought me for €10m. So everyone is getting benefits.”

Frank Lampard is reported to be on the brink of making a long-expected move to Inter Milan with Chelsea ready to replace him with Barcelona midfielder Deco.

Transfer news and speculation

Chelsea are set to hijack Barcelona’s bid for Zenit St Peterburg’s Andrei Arshavin. The Russian playmaker has stated a preference for a move to Spain, but Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea owner, hopes to use his influence to attract the 27-year-old. It is believed that Luiz Felipe Scolari, Chelsea’s new manager, wants to sign Milan’s Kaka and Bayern Munich’s Franck Ribery before their preseason tour of Malaysia, China and Moscow

One player ready to leave Chelsea is Frank Lampard, who looks on his way to joining former manager Jose Mourinho at Internazionale in a £7.1m deal

Tottenham want to sign Liverpool’s £4.5m-rated midfielder Yossi Benayoun.

Spurs, who failed in a £30m bid for Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o, have 10 players available for transfer, including Aaron Lennon and Paul Robinson

The Emmanuel Adebayor saga rumbles on. The Arsenal forward said at one press conference on Friday that he was staying at the Emirates, only to contradict himself later about a possible move, either to Milan or Barcelona

Big-money deals that are going ahead are Bolton’s signing of Sweden forward Johan Elmander from Toulouse for a club-record £11m, Manchester City paying £19m for Brazil forward Jo, inset, from CSKA Moscow and Spurs agreeing a £7.8m deal with PSV Eindhoven for Brazilian keeper Heurelho Gomes