Manchester United Transfer News: Cristiano Ronaldo Part of David De Gea Plan

Manchester United will make an "aggressive counter" to any Real Madrid offer for David De Gea by asking about the availability of players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema.

Chris Wheeler of the MailOnline also believes Red Devils executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward could enquire about Luka Modric, Raphael Varane and Dani Carvajal in an attempt to get the upper hand in a situation which will inevitably see De Gea leave.

"There are no guarantees that United will get their way, but it is a sign of the determination within the club to make life as difficult for Madrid as possible," wrote Wheeler.

Abdeljalil Bounhar/Associated Press

He also noted the demand for "a transfer fee in excess of £25 million" for De Gea and "interest" in Sergio Ramos is already lodged with Los Blancos.

Stories linking Ramos to United continue to do the rounds, as reported by Simon Stone of BBC Sport. United are "wary" the Spanish centre-back is using the club to land a new contract at the Bernabeu, according to Wheeler. The Sun suggests Louis van Gaal's side have warned the player over this, tweeted by the BBC's Neil Henderson:

AS also provided an update to the story:

Sergio Gomez of AS reported Ronaldo is "at loggerheads" with Madrid president Florentino Perez after a number of incidents which have frustrated him at the club. This includes the sacking of former boss Carlo Ancelotti and news that his upcoming switch to a No. 9 role "was communicated via the media instead of through official club sporting channels," per Gomez.

Clint Hughes/Associated Press

Woodward has a reputation for being a fierce negotiator, particularly on the commercial side of things. However, attempts to wrestle some kind of control from Madrid's desire to land De Gea may yield nothing for United.

De Gea's contract runs out in a year's time, so his value will drop immensely in the coming months. He has showed no plans to sign a new contract and has missed public opportunities to state he wishes to stay at Old Trafford. Losing him on a free at the conclusion of the 2015-16 campaign won't do United many favours, as it would be prolonging the inevitable.

Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Jamie Sanderson of the Metro) reported Ronaldo could be available for £66.5 million. The Portuguese star's transfer seems highly improbable, though, particularly as he racked up 58 goals across La Liga and the Champions League last season. His importance to new coach Rafa Benitez is unparalleled, no matter how tempting it may be to cash in and take Madrid in another direction.

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Having sold Ronaldo to Madrid in 2009, United won't want to let De Gea leave without making negotiations uncomfortable. By taking a Madrid player—perhaps any player at this point—they would be making a statement; Madrid may think twice when trying to sign key individuals from the Theatre of Dreams in the future.

United don't need the cash, nor would they need an instant replacement if De Gea leaves (due to Victor Valdes and Anders Lindegaard being at the club). It's entirely conceivable Woodward and the team are resigned to letting the 'keeper leave, but they'll do their damnedest to make Madrid sweat in the process.

It's one of many major questions the club need to solve during the summer. B/R UK's Jonathan Johnson discussed other dilemmas:

Woodward may throw names at Madrid until one sticks. It's more likely someone of Carvajal's level would be included over a star name; someone who Madrid may miss but can easily replace.

While United fans will dream of Ronaldo, Bale or Benzema, the reality is that the ticking down of De Gea's contract ensures Los Blancos will always hold the power in the situation.