Manchester United Transfer News: Cristiano Ronaldo Blow Dealt by Carlo Ancelotti

Few, if any, athletes are forced to answer more questions about their future than Cristiano Ronaldo. Rarely does any significant amount of time pass without a new transfer rumor emerging. Now Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is trying to downplay the latest Manchester United reports.

Dermot Corrigan of ESPN passed along comments from the Italian boss, who doesn't put any stock in the speculation and states the superstar forward is happy with the club:

The remarks come one day after Mark Ogden of The Telegraph reported there was a growing divide between Ronaldo and club officials. With the Portuguese international unhappy with the summer departures of Angel di Maria and Xabi Alonso, it was thought a sale was possible next year.

It was also noted the entire package would cost Manchester United around £140 million, based on wage demands of around £380,000 a week and an expected transfer fee of £60 million. Ogden also pointed to recent positive comments by the forward about the Premier League side.

"I love Manchester and you never know in football," Ronaldo said. "Of course I'm happy at Real Madrid; it's my home, it's my club, but United treated me unbelievably, so you never know.

"I am still in contact with some people there because I had a good relationship with everybody—it was like my second family."

Again, this type of speculation is nothing new for Ronaldo. He's constantly dealing with various reports about where he's going to play next, and it seems like the rumors linking him back to United started about five minutes after he left for the Bernabeu in 2009.

Whether there's actually a behind-the-scenes rift or not, even a club with the depth and star power of Real Madrid would struggle to replace one of the world's best players. WhoScored provided a graphic to show exactly how much he's meant to the squad:

Ultimately, the talk is unlikely to end anytime soon despite Ancelotti's comments. The idea of Ronaldo heading back to Old Trafford is so intriguing that it's going to remain a popular talking point, even if there's no real substance to it as of now.

Should there actually be a chance of a move next summer, there won't be any real clarity on the situation for several months. As for now, Ronaldo and Co. at Real Madrid have a busy season of chasing trophies ahead, which is the main focus.