Cristiano Ronaldo will still be a Manchester United player when the season begins next month, his manager Sir Alex Ferguson said on Friday.

The Portugal forward has been consistently linked with a big-money move to Real Madrid and had seemed to be on his way out of Old Trafford.

But at a press conference in South Africa - where United are on a pre-season tour - on Friday, Ferguson confirmed that he met Ronaldo in Lisbon last week.

'The meeting went well - I think we both put across our points of view - where we stand and where the player stands,' the manager said.

'I can say he'll be a Manchester United player next season. That's our stance - he won't be sold.'