Cristiano Ronaldo transfer: Juve ace more likely to return to Man United than Real Madrid

Following Juventus' yet another unceremonious Champions League exit, Cristiano Ronaldo's future has been cast into doubt with the Old Lady looking at a rebuild to catapult them into European glory. Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner is entering the fag end of his illustrious career. But the Cristiano Ronaldo transfer could well be a tricky one this time, with coronavirus and the following financial crisis crunching the resources available across many teams. While rumours of a Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid return have been in the news, Los Blancos will face stiff competition from Manchester United and their European rivals Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). 

Real Madrid transfer news: Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United more likely to happen than Los Blancos return 

According to Tuttosport, the Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United transfer is a likelier option than a return to Spain if he is to leave Juventus in the summer. The 36-year-old is in the final 16 months of his three-year deal with the Biacconeri, and he could be heading towards the exit door in the summer, after yet another disappointing Champions League exit. Although the player recently himself claimed that if it was upto him, he would continue with the Italian heavyweights as he has a lot more to achieve with them. However, it has been reported that the Serie A giants could sanction a Cristiano Ronaldo transfer for a mere £25 million this summer in an effort to get the Portuguese legend's £28 million annual salary off the wage bill.

But if given a choice, Ronaldo reportedly prefers a return to either Manchester United or Real Madrid, having enjoyed a storied career at both clubs before his switch to Italy in pursuit of a "new challenge". While the Portuguese legend remains Los Blancos' top scorer of all-time, there is little to suggest that president Florentino Perez would sanction such a transfer, with the defending LaLiga champions eyeing a move for PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe. Real Madrid have their finances strained which saw them offload a number of players last summer, while their hesitation to offer renewals to captain Sergio Ramos and fellow centre-back Raphael Varane.

That leaves Manchester United remaining. The Manchester United transfer news inolving Ronaldo has been prevalent every summer since the Portuguese made a then-world-record move to the Santiago Bernabeu in 2009. Should the Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid rumours get quashed, the Red Devils could come into the picture as they are in dire need of a goalscorer, having not replaced Romelu Lukaku, and the 36-year-old blends in perfectly. Ronaldo has amassed 30 goals this season in just 30 games, and is leading the golden boot race in Serie A with 23 goals.

Ronaldo already has played with Red Devils' talisman Bruno Fernandes for the Portuguese national team, and will definitely enhance their quality and could enhance their prospects at challenging for the Premier League title. The Red Devils could also offer Paul Pogba in return for the Portuguese ace, with the French international entering the final year of his contract in the summer. 

(Image Courtesy: UEFA Champions League Twitter)