United Working On Ground-Breaking £55m Deal To Re-Sign Cristiano Ronaldo

Despite the transfer window now being closed there will still be plenty of gossip doing the rounds in the newspapers, so we’ll keep you up-to-date with the latest transfer rumours. Today, Manchester United are linked with a move for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Manchester United are working on a sensational £55m deal to re-sign Cristiano Ronaldo that includes a ground-breaking sponsorship deal to ensure they can match the Portuguese star’s current salary, according to the Daily Star.

Ronaldo joined United in 2003 from Sporting Lisbon and went on to become a world-wide superstar during his six years at Old Trafford, scoring 118 goals in 292 games for the Manchester club, before moving to Real Madrid in a world record £80m deal in 2009.

The 28-year-old has enhanced his reputation even further at the Bernabeu after scoring an incredible 183 goals in just 181 games, but it seems he may be forced out of the Spanish giants at the end of the season.

The Star claims the Portuguese attacker is ready to quit La Liga as he feels he’s not being shown the respect he deserves in Spain and Sir Alex Ferguson is understood to be willing to pay Madrid £55m to bring Ronaldo back to Old Trafford in the summer.

A major stumbling block for any potential deal is understood to be United’s inability to meet Ronaldo’s current £220,000-a-week salary and stay within the new UEFA Financial Fair Play regulations but the newspaper believes that United have found a way around this by putting together a complex financial package that would see the player agree a wage with the club then sign a separate lucrative endorsement deal with United’s sponsor Chevrolet that  would see him become their global ambassador.

The American car giants are not due to become United’s main sponsor until 2014 but the report says talks are underway with current backers Aon to end their agreement a year early allowing Chevrolet to come in and help try and lure Ronaldo back to Old Trafford.

The Daily Star suggest Paris St Germain could rival United to his signature but it’s believed the players preferred destination remains the Premier League and specifically Old Trafford.

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While £55m sounds like a reasonably low figure for the second best player in the world, it’s worth noting that transfer fees are expected to drop over the coming years with the introduction of FFP and the player will have just two years remaining on his Madrid contract in the summer.

Would United fans like to see Ronaldo back at Old Trafford? Get involved in the comments section below.