Manchester United are ready to ship David De Gea and £183 million to Real Madrid in exchange for Cristiano Ronaldo and Alvaro Morata, according to the Daily Mail .
The blockbuster proposal comes as BBC Sport reports that Ronaldo, 32, has become increasingly unhappy in Madrid due to lingering tax fraud allegations and a perceived lack of support from his soccer club and “doesn’t want to stay in Spain.”
Further, Sky News reports that the 32-year-old legend has told his agent, Jorge Mendes, to “do everything he can” to secure his return to Old Trafford .
For its part, Read Madrid have never hidden the fact they covet talented Manchester goalkeeper De Gea and have made multiple attempts to woo him away from the U.K. during recent transfer periods. The Daily Mail suggests that the team’s interest in De Gea may cause them to waver on the whopping £350 million price tag they initially placed on Ronaldo in a bid to keep other teams at bay.
After playing for Manchester United for seven seasons, Ronaldo bolted for Real Madrid in 2009 for a then record £80 million. During his time in Spain, the Portugal native has amassed a club-record 406 goals in 394 games.
Cristiano Ronaldo has hinted he’d like to return to Manchester before.
“I love Manchester, to be back, I never know, you never know,” he told the Guardian in 2014. “Of course I’m happy at Real Madrid, it’s my home, it’s my club but Manchester treat me unbelievable so we never know.”
And BBC Sport reminds readers that Ronaldo has used Spanish press as a way to convey his displeasure with fans and Real Madrid in the past, telling a pitch-side reporter, “I’m sad and the club know why,” back in 2012, which sent Real fans into a frenzied panic.
As for his current unhappiness, former Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon told BBC Radio 5 that he doesn’t know why Cristiano Ronaldo is seeking to leave the club, but he thinks it could be hard to change his mind.
“If he’s made his mind up, I don’t think it’s going to be easy to change. He’s very strong-minded and clear in what he wants.”
Cristiano Ronaldo is currently in Russia representing Portugal in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. Real Madrid and Manchester United cannot complete a deal as long as Portugal remains in the tournament.
Do you think Cristiano Ronaldo is serious about leaving Real Madrid? Do you think he’ll end up back with Manchester United, or elsewhere? Tell us in the comments below.
[Featured Image by David Ramos/Getty Images]
