Manchester United Transfer News: Cristiano Ronaldo Rumours, Mats Hummels Latest

Cristiano Ronaldo is back on Manchester United's radar after exit rumours were sparked by a Real Madrid source on Tuesday.

Former Real Madrid goalkeeper Agustin Rodriguez told Directo Marca that Cristiano Ronaldo is "certain" to leave the Bernabeu at the end of the season, a story which will have caught the attention of Manchester United fans. Rodriguez suggested, "We'll see as much in the news that comes out in Wednesday's papers."

Wednesday is upon us and, so far, the Spanish press hasn't offered a whiff of news suggesting Ronaldo will depart the Spanish capital. Football Espana posted a roundup of the morning's headlines and, predictably, all focus was on Madrid's quest to overturn their 2-1 deficit against Juventus during Wednesday's Champions League semi-final second leg.

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However, Jimmy Floyd of The Sun used Rodriguez's comments to suggest Ronaldo "is ready to walk out on Real Madrid." He also mentioned a United return could be part of the equation. Jamie Sanderson of the Metro built on Floyd's article by adding a price tag of £71.5 million into the mix.

Sport Witness isn't buying Rodriguez's claims:

Interestingly, in an article on the Sport Witness website, it's even suggested the ex-Madrid stopper's comments might be "a media experiment." While this seems unlikely, we await further news on what was a particularly bold claim regarding Ronaldo's future.

Should exit reports gather pace, the superstar's love affair with United will surely place them among the front-runners for his signature.

United to be 'Very Active' in German Market

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Onto more pressing links, Bundesliga pundit Jan Aage Fjortoft expects United boss Louis van Gaal to be active in the German market this summer. He suggests Borussia Dortmund stars Mats Hummels and Ilkay Gundogan are viable targets, although Bayern Munich's Thomas Muller is not:

Sanderson previously reported that United are in "advanced talks" with Hummels. A transfer fee of £37 million is mooted, which after the centre-back's inconsistent season, should be considered a hefty price.

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Despite Sky Sports previously suggesting Gundogan is "close" to an Old Trafford switch, SportBild (h/t Sanderson) indicates Arsenal "are in talks with Gundogan's family and a deal is now on the cards to go through."

Muller denied reports of a bust-up with Bayern boss Pep Guardiola prior to his side's Champions League exit on Tuesday, as reported by Alberto Ortega of Marca. Fjortoft's assertion suggests the German forward, who recently secured a new five-year contract, will remain at the Allianz Arena.

Van Gaal is well-versed in the German market, however, having spent two years at Bayern. United have never welcomed a German into the first team, so history could be made during an important summer for the club. B/R UK's Thom Gibbs recently discussed various potential transfers for Van Gaal: 

Hummels and Gundogan remain attainable targets, while suggestions Ronaldo could return often appear without gathering much momentum. Although it's obvious most United fans will want to see him running out in the famous red again, Madrid are unlikely to let their star man leave, particularly as he's knocked in over 50 goals between La Liga and Champions League matches this campaign.

Rodriguez's comments on the Portuguese star look to have been worthless but optimistic supporters will still look out for Ronaldo stories in the coming days. This is especially true if Madrid fail to reach the Champions League final on Wednesday night.