September 04, 2008	Thursday	Ramazan 3, 1429

LONDON, Sept 3: Manchester City's new billionaire Arab owners say they are willing to pay 135 million pounds (210 million dollars) to land Cristiano Ronaldo from the Red side of the city.

“Ronaldo has said he wants to play for the biggest club in the world, so we will see in January if he is serious,” the Guardian newspaper quoted Dr Sulaiman Al-Fahim, of City's new owners, the Abu Dhabi United Group, as saying on their website.

According to the report Tuesday, Al-Fahim also wants to track down other major stars, including Arsenal striker Thierry Henry and Valencia's David Villa as City, one of England's perennial under-achievers in recent decades, head for the footballing stratosphere.

Al-Fahim says he wants to build a “dream team” which can compete in the Champions League within the coming three years.

City have already stunned fellow moneybags club Chelsea in landing Robinho from Real Madrid in a British record 32.5 million-pound move on deadline day late Monday.

And now Ronaldo, linked with Real for much of the summer, is seen as the potential jewel in the crown.

“Real Madrid were estimating his value at 160 million dollars but for a player like that, to actually get him, will cost a lot more; I would think 240 million (dollars) (135 million pounds). “But why not? We are going to be the biggest club in the world, bigger than both Real Madrid and Manchester United. We want a team who can win the Champions League,” the Guardian quoted Al-Fahim as saying.—AFP