Ronaldo Return Not On

Sir Alex Ferguson has dropped the biggest hint so far that Cristiano Ronaldo won’t be returning to Old Trafford as a Manchester United player.

Ronaldo was back in Manchester to play Manchester City in the Champions League last month and will be back in the north west of England in March to play against his former side nearly four years after leaving for sunny Madrid in a world record £80 million deal.

Ferguson has always welcomed the thought of taking Ronaldo, who he signed for £12 million from Sporting Lisbon in 2003, back to Old Trafford but understands any move is unlikely.

"I don't see it," said Ferguson. "I would love to think it. Maybe when he is about 39 and you are coming past my grave, but it is fanciful thinking really.

"First of all how much would it take to get him from Real Madrid?

"Secondly I don't think there is any chance they would want to sell him anyway.

"You never know. I don't know when his contract finishes and he may want to go to another club at some point in his career. Of course I would hope he'd want to come here. But that is a long way off."

Cristiano Ronaldo has a buyout clause of a whopping 1 million Euros leaving the Portuguese forward available for money only the mega rich clubs like Anzhi, PSG or Manchester City can afford.

Sam Jewell

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