The Manchester Evening News understand that Manchester United are currently working on a potentially club-record deal to bring Red Devils hero Cristiano Ronaldo back to the club.
The Portugal legend moved to the Bernabeu six years ago for a then-world record £80 million fee [Telegraph], but he appears to be coming towards the end of his glorious cycle in the Spanish capital.
There have been recent rumours of a rift with Real president Florentino Perez [Irish Times], while Ronaldo’s relationship with new coach Rafael Benitez already appears to be strained, despite the coach’s insistence to the contrary [ESPN].
The MEN understand that United are keen on continuing to transform their squad into a collective capable of winning the Premier League, and see 30-year-old Ronaldo as the kind of player who could make them genuine contenders.
Louis van Gaal has already put his money where his mouth is this summer, bringing Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Matteo Darmian and Memphis Depay to the club.
Ronaldo would also solve a problem areal area for the Dutch coach; with Radamel Falcao and Robin van Persie having already left the club, and Javier Hernandez persistently linked to the exit door [Independent], LVG may be left with just Wayne Rooney and James Wilson as striking options for the coming campaign.
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Similarly, with Angel Di Maria heavily tipped to be heading towards the exit door—Paris Saint-Germain are believed to be closing in on a £59.7 million move [Express]—United could find themselves with both the resources and the requirement to bring the legendary Ronaldo back to the club.
The three-time Ballon d’Or winner won a trio of Premier League titles at Old Trafford, the 2004 FA Cup and the Champions League four years later.