Manchester United are laying the foundations for Cristiano Ronaldo to make a sensational return this summer after it emerged that he wants to quit Real Madrid, according to the Sunday Times.
The newspaper claim that the Premier League giants are “exploring the viability” of buying back Ronaldo following the Jose Mourinho green light eight years after selling him for a then-record £80million.
The Sunday Times report that Ronaldo has informed Real that he wants to leave after the recent allegations of tax fraud against him and has instructed his agency Gestifute to find him a new club.
It is said that United and Paris Saint-Germain are the most prominent of the suitors to land the 32-year-old, whose reputation remains sky-high after a remarkable finish to the 2016-17 season in which he scored twice in the Champions League final to secure Real’s third triumph in that competition in four years.
The report states that it will likely take a world-record fee to sign Ronaldo that is in excess of the £89million United paid for Paul Pogba last summer.
There is scepticism in some quarters about whether Ronaldo would leave Real this summer but United are keen to be at the front of the queue if a deal is possible in the coming weeks.
Manager Jose Mourinho is in the market for a new forward this summer and reportedly would take Ronaldo ahead of any of the other front men on his target list.
Ronaldo joined Real from United in the summer of 2009 and he has since made 394 appearances in all competitions, which have yielded a remarkable 406 goals and 125 assists.
His reputation as an all-time great was further enhanced following a season in which his 42 goals from 46 matches in all competitions spearheaded Real’s La Liga and Champions League double.
Ronaldo has also scored 73 goals from 139 international appearances and inspired Portugal to their Euro 2016 triumph 12 months ago.