Manchester United Transfer Rumors: Latest on Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney

Sir Alex Ferguson’s time at Old Trafford is finished, and there’s a good chance Wayne Rooney could share a similar fate this summer, though for very different reasons.

Ferguson bowed out after a tremendous career at the helm of the Red Devils, but Rooney may not have such a graceful exit should he depart from the club following this season. As reported on FIFA.com’s Twitter account, Ferguson confirmed Rooney’s desire to leave Manchester United:

Considering the forward’s apparent disinterest in playing against Swansea City on Sunday, that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise (via BBC Sport):

Much of Rooney’s unrest at Old Trafford likely stems from his undefined role with Robin van Persie on the pitch. At 27, he’s still in the prime of his career and has the talent to be the best scoring option for several clubs that could compete for his services this summer.

Rooney’s current contract runs through 2015, but all signs point to the forward making an early exit. Even if Manchester United are unwilling to let him depart, there doesn’t seem to be a solution that doesn’t end in an acrimonious manner.

Manchester United may not have to look very far to replace him, however. Should new boss David Moyes write off Rooney as a lost cause going forward, all focus will shift to an even bigger star.

According to a Daily Mail report by Neil Ashton, Manchester United are “confident of securing the return” of Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo to Old Trafford:

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An astonishing day at Manchester United took an incredible twist on Wednesday night when it emerged the club are close to securing the return of Cristiano Ronaldo.

Sportsmail can reveal that outgoing United chief executive David Gill has been in Madrid to meet Jorge Mendes, the Portuguese super-agent who represents the megastar.

Sources on Wednesday night insisted the Barclays Premier League champions are confident of securing the return of the player they sold to Real Madrid for a world record £80 million in 2009.

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The speculation of Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United has been rampant throughout the season, picking up steam after the striker made his return to Old Trafford in March in a 2-1 Real Madrid victory that saw Ronaldo score the winning goal. Along with a warm welcome from a sizeable portion of United fans, the 28-year-old was given Ryan Giggs’ 1,000th match shirt, signed by the entire club (h/t Dave Wood of the Daily Mail).

Camaraderie and fanfare aside, there are plenty more reasons why Ronaldo would consider a return to Old Trafford, and plenty of reasons why Manchester United would shell out the cash to reacquire his services—especially if Rooney is on his way out.

Ronaldo hasn’t had the supporting cast with Real Madrid that he would have with Manchester United, and the draw of a Premier League return has to also appeal to the superstar striker. The class of the EPL apparently has the interest, and there will certainly be a large sum of money involved as well. Should Ronaldo choose to leave, there isn’t a more fitting option.