The Manchester United Tour 2013

Manchester United continue their pre-season tour, as they arrived in Yokohama, Japan, on Monday. The team booked into the same hotel in downtown Yokohama, where they stayed during the FIFA Club World Cup, in 2008. The biggest difference from five years ago, apart from the end of the Sir Alex Ferguson era, is they now have a player from Japan: Shinji Kagawa. The Japanese hero has been given extra time off, following his national team duty in the FIFA Confederations Cup; joining the team on Monday morning. Ashley Young and Chris Smalling also flew out to join the tour party in Japan. Wayne Rooney, who manager David Moyes repeatedly says will not be sold (despite speculation about his future), is absent due to hamstring problems. Captain Nemanja Vidic, Nani, and Darren Fletcher have also missed the tour because of injury. Following a shock 1-0 defeat to Singha All Stars in Bangkok, Manchester United thrashed A-League All Stars 5-1, in Sydney, to give David Moyes his first win. Today (being Tuesday), United stumbled to a 3-2 defeat against J-League outfit,Yokohama F. Marinos, at the Nissan stadium in Yokohama. They then travel to Osaka, to face Kagawa's former club, Cerezo Osaka, on Friday.

Ronaldo Rubbishes Rumored Contract Extension with Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo's current contract with Real Madrid is set to expire in 2015. With the transfer market in full swing, the club president, Florentino Perez, is trying to get the mercurial megastar to renew his contract and extend deal through 2018 . Madrid faithfuls worldwide are agitating, sitting on the edge of their seats, impatiently waiting for the outcome. The clock's ticking fast, but time will tell. There's no need to wait, though. The Portuguese Playmaker has been largely linked to the exit doors of the Santiago Bernabeu, after he took to Twitter and underlined unhappiness with his current los Blancos deal. Apparently, the 2008 Ballon d'Or winner has his sights on the Theater of Dreams. Manchester United seems a likely option, but Monaco is itching to throw €100 million at the 28-year-old. I'm talking a whopping €20 million annual salary. CR7 might just kick his way to France, and join the newly promoted Ligue 1 outfit.