Manchester United Transfer News: Lucas Moura and Cristiano Ronaldo Double Blow

Manchester United have been dealt a double blow in their pursuits of Lucas Moura and Cristiano Ronaldo.

According to the Daily Star's Marc Williams, Moura was a summer target for the Red Devils but instead opted to sign a new four-year deal with Les Parisiens.

Per the report, he told France Football, "I love being in Paris. I want to make history. I feel that I can win the Champions League with PSG. But it is not only the club, but also life in Paris which is fantastic. That's why I want to stay here long."

The Brazilian bagged a relatively modest but far from dismissible eight goals and seven assists in all competitions last season, and his addition would have given United the kind of width and tricky wing-play they enjoyed so much in the days of Sir Alex Ferguson.

According to Squawka, Moura has created 15 chances in Ligue 1 this season—bettered only by Juan Mata at Old Trafford—while his dribbling ability is virtually second-to-none, per WhoScored.com:

Here are the qualities United missed out on:

His acquisition would also have had the added bonus of allowing Mata to return to his familiar central role, where he appears far more effective and comfortable.

The 23-year-old is evidently deeply content with life in the City of Light, though, and his contract will keep him there for the foreseeable future.

He will still be under 30 years of age by the end of it, so should he pursue a new challenge then he could still make a good signing for United. While Manchester's unique charm might struggle to live up to the glamour of Paris, the club would surely be a tempting prospect.

AJ Mast/Associated Press

A player who has appreciated Manchester in the past is Real Madrid star Ronaldo, but it seems the forward could be set to see out his career in the Spanish capital—at least according to former Real boss Carlo Ancelotti.

According to ESPN.co.uk's Mark Rodden, he told Le Parisien, "Last week he created history at Real Madrid by levelling Raul's record. I don't see Cristiano Ronaldo changing club. I think he'll finish his career at Real Madrid where everyone likes him."

Per Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News, the 30-year-old has long been linked with a move back to Old Trafford since departing in 2009 and likely still holds the club in high regard after his successful spell there and where he remains a firm fan favourite.

Paul White/Associated Press

Indeed, according to Luckhurst, he told a BBC documentary on Wayne Rooney that "maybe in the future we will play together again."

As Rooney looks unlikely to be earning a high-profile move to Real Madrid any time soon, Ronaldo could have been hinting at a possible return.

However, as Ancelotti noted, there probably lies a strong temptation in him to stay at the Bernabeu and continue to rack up a ridiculous amount of goals—not just surpassing Raul's record but leaving it firmly in his wake.

There will continue to be speculation surrounding a return to United for the rest of Ronaldo's career. While it's certainly possible, United fans would equally be wise not to hold their breath.