Manchester United believe they have won the battle to keep Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford.

It is understood that manager Sir Alex Ferguson and chief executive David Gill are convinced that the 23-year-old will start the season with the Barclays Premier League champions.

End of the fight? United believe Ronaldo is going nowhere

It emerged last night that United have been contacted by several leading European clubs - including Spanish giants Barcelona - urging them to make a stand against the rise of player power by resisting Ronaldo's demands to be sold to Real Madrid.

United are now more determined than ever to send out the right message to the rest of their own playing squad by refusing point blank to give in to a player they feel has tried to engineer a move in the worst possible way.

According to senior United sources, Gill in particular is livid with Ronaldo and the manner in which the Portugal star first tried to bully the club into giving him a new £150,000- a-week contract and - when that failed - then attempted to bulldoze his way to Madrid.

This has made the United chief only more determined to keep the player, who has risen from anonymity to world stardom since arriving at Old Trafford from Sporting Lisbon in 2003.

A United source said: 'David's position mirrors that of the manager. The fact is that Ronaldo will not be sold this summer.

Real Madrid can offer what they want. It won' t happen.

This whole business has infuriated everybody at the club and it is very much seen as a point of principle now.

'If Ronaldo is allowed to leave then what message does it send out to the rest of the squad? We would have chaos on our hands.'

United remain frustrated, but not surprised, that UEFA found nothing wrong in Real's public courtship of their player and they are aware that the FA would almost certainly have taken action had an English club behaved in that manner.

Nevertheless, the United hierarchy have been encouraged to take a firm stance by the club's owners, the Glazer family, and have also been heartened by the fact that there has not been an official bid from Real.

Club sources believe that Real have scaled down their pursuit a little and tentatively think that the Spanish champions will not act unless Ronaldo hands in a transfer request.

United know that Ronaldo will get his wish to play in Spain eventually and that they could have the same battle on their hands next summer.

And Ronaldo is now aware that he must face the wrath of United fans when he returns from ankle trouble a few weeks into the forthcoming season.

Ferguson considered the effect that a Ronaldo 'circus' might have on his squad as they go about the business of defending their title but has concluded that any initial fuss would soon diminish.

The United boss also believes that Ronaldo is strong enough to deal with hostility from supporters, just as Rio Ferdinand did when he received criticism for prevaricating over a new contract two years ago.

Ronaldo is due back from holiday later this month to begin his recovery from surgery on his ankle that now looks inevitable and has so far given United no indication that he will not return.

United and Chelsea have been warned off following up their interest in Germany winger Bastian Schweinsteiger.

The 23-year-old, a key figure as his country advanced to the Euro 2008 Final, is also a target for Inter Milan, but Bayern Munich chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said: 'He is going nowhere, and neither is Lukas Podolski.

'We're getting tired of the speculation about these two players, because letting either one go is out of the question.'