Manchester United will have to stump up £48 million if they are to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford, according to Spanish paper Sport.
Los Blancos are seemingly happy to let the 31-year-old leave in the summer due to his advancing age and the environment around the Bernabeu at the moment, despite the Portuguese star’s contract not expiring until 2018.
And they have named their price for the forward, with Ronaldo himself likely to demand £16 to £20 million in wages a year, according to the paper, who quote Sky Sports’ Spanish football expert, Guillem Balague.
Paris Saint-Germain and United are favourites to secure the signature of the man who is considered one of the two best players in the world, but the French champions are likely to turn their attentions to Barcelona forward Neymar, who they believe will have better resale value.
This leaves United as the favourites for Ronaldo’s signature, which could well mean a return to the Theatre of Dreams for the man who lit up Old Trafford during his teenage years.
Despite Ronaldo’s advancing years, he has still scored 29 goals in 31 La Liga appearances this season and will be looking to lead Portugal to Euro 2016 glory in France this summer.
United would be crazy to not consider signing Ronaldo in the summer, with the lack of real superstar talent in attack. Many United fans still clamour for Ronaldo’s return and the summer of 2016 might well be the last chance for the Reds to bring the Portuguese star ‘home’.
