Manchester United Transfer News: Latest on Cristiano Ronaldo, January Rumours

Cristiano Ronaldo would consider any potential offer from Manchester United, according to the club’s former assistant manager Mike Phelan, per IB Times UK (h/t George Ankers of Goal.com).

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The prospect of a reunion between the Red Devils and Ronaldo was teased during the early stages of the season but rumours have abated following quotes from the Real Madrid man’s agent Jorge Mendes, insisting that the Portuguese forward will most likely finish his career in the Spanish capital, per Globo Esporte (h/t ESPN).

But according to Phelan—while he doesn’t expect Ronaldo to be moving anywhere quite yet—the 29-year-old would always listen to a proposal from United, such is his affinity with the club, per Ankers' piece:

"

Ronaldo loved his time at Manchester United and, if Manchester United were interested in him again, then he would listen to that because part of his career has come through Man United.

But listen, he is where he is because of him being Ronaldo and, at the moment, Madrid are successful so I can't see why he would think about coming back to Manchester United now.

"

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At the time of writing Real are on a 22-game winning run to which Ronaldo has been a critical part. So far this season he’s netted 30 goals in all competitions, per WhoScored.com, and Los Blancos look well equipped to sample further glories on both domestic and European fronts in 2015. United, by comparison, are just looking to secure a Champions League spot for next season.

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Here’s a look at some of Ronaldo’s best moments from a magnificent year:

While the prospect of the club’s former No. 7 coming back to Old Trafford is something United fans would love to see, the sensible ploy in January and the upcoming windows would be to bolster areas of this squad in desperate need of addressing. Spending an obscene amount of money on another attacker would be plain indulgent.

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One player that could represent an intriguing proposition is Ilkay Gundogan. According to reports in Germany (h/t Anthony Chapman of the Express), Borussia Dortmund are willing to listen to offers for the 24-year-old midfielder, whose contract runs out at the end of the 2015/16 campaign.

Here’s a look at why, according to Chapman, Gundogan will be subject to interest from the Red Devils, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea:

Dortmund will surely face a fight to keep hold of their star players in the upcoming windows and may be prompted into selling the likes of Gundogan after Robert Lewandowski let his contract run down and signed with Bayern Munich 12 months ago.

Indeed, with Jurgen Klopp’s side currently languishing in 17th position in the Bundesliga, convincing key players to extend their stay will be difficult.

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Gundogan is a player who would bring plenty to United’s midfield. His ability to move the ball quickly and with forensic accuracy means he’d be a great foil for the likes of Angel Di Maria and Wayne Rooney, and at 24 years old, there is still plenty of room for development in his game.

Belacher Report's Stefan Bienkowski highlighted Gundogan's performances following his return from injury as a minor bright spot in a dismal season for Dortmund:

As noted by European football expert Andy Brassell in assessing United’s potential dream January window, a classy midfielder is likely to be on Louis van Gaal’s January wish list, too:

The player himself has also teased the prospect of making a move to one of the Premier League's biggest clubs, per Chapman’s piece. “Playing outside Germany is one of my big goals,” said Gundogan. “If one day I leave here, I'd like to play in Spain or for one of the big teams in England.”

The German international would be a magnificent acquisition, but arguably United’s need to strengthen the defensive side of this team is much more pressing. So for the Red Devils faithful, it will be encouraging to see that the club has been linked with a potential move for Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane.

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According to reports in France (h/t Bruce Archer of the Daily Star), Los Blancos central defensive pairing of Sergio Ramos and Pepe are both set to sign new deals at the Santiago Bernabeu, and that could spell the end for the 21-year-old Varane. The piece also suggested United and Chelsea are primed to swoop for his signature.

Here’s a look at why Varane is rated as one of the best young defenders in the world:

Given his undeniable quality, it’s difficult to see Madrid letting him go, though. Pepe is playing superbly at the moment, making it difficult to fully integrate Varane into the setup, but that doesn't mean the European champions will immediately look to cash in on the player.

The young Frenchman is a world-class operator in the making and when the time comes, surely Madrid will look to get him and Ramos playing at the heart of the defence as often as possible.

When he gets a prolonged run in the team, he'll impress, meaning it'll be extremely difficult for any side to prise Varane away from the Santiago Bernabeu.