Manchester United Transfer News: Hopes of Cristiano Ronaldo's Return Are Fading

It was a glorious dream while it lasted. However, it appears it is time to put it to bed. Cristiano Ronaldo could be on the verge of upping his deal with Real Madrid. 

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti certainly seems to think this will be the case. Spanish newspaper AS passed along this quote from Ancelotti (via Sky Sports):

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The player wants to renew his contract and the club want him to renew it too, so I don't think it's going to be a problem.

I think Cristiano and the club are relaxed about the issue. I don't know when it will happen, but I am certain that Cristiano is going to renew his contract with Madrid.

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Of course, that is just one side of the story.

Ronaldo, who happens to play a vital role in this process, isn't tipping his hand. "The situation still hasn't been resolved," Sky Sports quoted him as responding to a query about his new deal. 

Ronaldo's indifference should not be seen as a sign that Ancelotti is off base.

Ronaldo is in a negotiation, and he would lose leverage if he came out and said he was close to re-signing. He needs to maximize his value. By extending the perception he could be available, a team like Manchester United could come in and try to sway proceedings with an offer so large, Ronaldo could demand more money. 

However, his comments do raise into question a report by Spanish daily Marca that the deal was already agreed to in principle. David Kent of the Daily Mail passed along the details:

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Madrid-based newspaper Marca reports that Ronaldo will earn around £900,000 more each season than Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi, making him the highest-paid player in Spain.

The 28-year-old is believed to have struck a deal with Real to increase his share of his image rights, which previously stood at 60 percent.

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Then there is the fact that it was less than a week ago when Duncan Wright of the Daily Star claimed the two clubs were "negotiating an £80m package" for CR7. 

Real is also still reportedly in talks with Tottenham over star Gareth Bale, according to Jeremy Wilson and Jason Burt of The Telegraph. If that deal does happen, it will be massive. This could fuel speculation that Los Blancos will use Ronaldo to balance out the fee. However, this club is used to spending big money. If they break the transfer record, they'll break their own record—which was for Ronaldo.  

For those who will cling to the dream of Ronaldo's triumphant return, there is enough information to create doubt about his tie to Madrid lengthening. However, I'm not falling into that camp. 

Ronaldo will soon re-sign, and it will officially be time to move onto other dreams.