Real Madrid Reportedly Deny Cutting Cristiano Ronaldo's €1B Buyout Clause

Real Madrid have reportedly maintained that Cristiano Ronaldo's buyout clause remains at €1 billion (£886 million) and has not been reduced to help facilitate his exit from the club. 

According to Marca, Diario OK had reported that Real decided at the end of the January transfer window to reduce his clause to €120 million to make him more affordable to any interested parties, with the exceptions of Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona.

Between then and the UEFA Champions League final in May, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and AC Milan are said to have approached Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes to inform him they could meet that smaller clause, as well as offer the forward a net salary of €40 million.

However, Los Blancos have refuted talk of a reduced clause and will seemingly demand it be met if any suitors were to approach them regarding Ronaldo.

The 33-year-old's future has been the subject of much speculation following his comments after the UEFA Champions League final. Per ESPN FC's Dermot Corrigan, he indicated he could be set to leave the club:

Ronaldo racked up 44 goals in all competitions last season, with 15 coming in the Champions League to help Madrid win their third title in a row.

His longevity at the top of the game has been phenomenal—since his first season at the Santiago Bernabeu, his lowest tally is 42—and he's offered a further reminder of it with Portugal at the World Cup this summer:

It's to be expected Madrid would want a lot for him if he were to go, particularly given he also has three years left on his contract, which earns him £365,000 per week.

However, it's fair to say they've already got their money's worth on him since signing him from Manchester United for £80 million in 2009.

No club has the resources to splash out €1 billion on a player, much less one who—despite being a difference-maker at the highest level—is approaching the twilight of his career.

If Los Blancos want to keep him then sticking to their guns is fine; if they're open to letting him leave they will need to be prepared to accept much less than his buyout clause.