Manchester United Transfer News: Cristiano Ronaldo Unsure on Real Madrid Future

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has spoken candidly about his Los Blancos future, admitting he is doesn't know whether he will depart the club amid rumours linking him with a return to Manchester United.

Speculation about Ronaldo’s future has been gathering in recent weeks, with talk the Red Devils and Paris Saint-Germain are both interested in landing him, per Spanish football expert Guillem Balague (h/t Joe Moore of talkSPORT). The 30-year-old has done little to extinguish the rumours about a possible move with his latest comments.

“At this moment, I'm happy playing for Real Madrid but I don't know what will happen in my future,” said Ronaldo, per the EFE (h/t Ben Nagle of the MailOnline). “I must choose the way that makes me happy.”

Francisco Seco/Associated Press

After recently suggesting to Marca (h/t the Guardian) he would like to play at Real Madrid until he was 40, it’s certainly a change in stance from Ronaldo, who recently became the Santiago Bernabeu club’s all-time top goalscorer. With that achievement secured, perhaps the former Red Devils star does fancy a change of scenery.

There are plenty at Old Trafford who would love to have him back at the club. After all, as we can see here, courtesy of Squawka, the Portugal international remains the finest thoroughbred goalscorer anywhere in world football:

United would have to pay big money to bring him in. But Ronaldo, despite the fact he will turn 31 before the end of the season, could be worth that kind of expenditure, especially if he plays on into his late thirties. That wouldn’t be a huge surprise given the forward has kept himself in immaculate shape.

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Still, there are obstacles in the way of a potential deal. United, although clearly close to Ronaldo’s heart, wouldn’t necessarily be a new challenge for the Real Madrid man. The prospect of propelling PSG’s bid for a maiden Champions League triumph, provided they don’t lift the trophy this season, would potentially be a refreshing opportunity.

There are arguably still milestones for Ronaldo to achieve with Madrid too, as SportsCenter touched upon after another goal for the player in his most recent outing:

From a Blancos perspective, it’s a tricky situation. While Ronaldo remains one of the very best players in the world, if a team such as United or PSG were to come in with a stratospheric offer, it’d be hugely difficult to turn down. It’s money that could potentially be vital to the club when it comes to finding a replacement for the Portuguese, an unenviable but inevitable process.

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For United fans, regardless of the pecuniary details, getting Ronaldo back to Old Trafford would be wonderful and immediately enrich their chances of success in the seasons to come. 

They’d likely face stiff competition from PSG and a resolve from Real, who’d be wary of cashing in on one of their greatest players. Nevertheless, encouragingly for those at Old Trafford, the prospect of a Ronaldo return seems to be becoming a little more realistic as the weeks go by.