Louis van Gaal has admitted Cristiano Ronaldo would be a target for Manchester United though the manager does not believe Real Madrid will sell the 29-year-old.
Ronaldo has continually spoken of his enduring affection for United after leaving the club in 2009 in a €94m transfer to the Spanish giants.
Of bringing Ronaldo back to Old Trafford, Van Gaal said: “When it is possible, what I said with (Radamel) Falcao, players like Ronaldo give a lot extra to selection or to a team but I don’t think Real Madrid shall sell him.”
The former Real president, Ramon Calderdon, claimed this week that Ronaldo was disillusioned with the current incumbent, Florentino Perez. “My impression is he is fed up with the policy of the current president,” he said.
“When he came with (Arjen) Robben, he thought he would be a good colleague for him in the team. (Gonzalo) Higuaín was sold and he didn’t like that. Last year he thought it was a mistake to let (Mesut) Özil leave and the last straw was selling Xabi Alonso and Angel di Maria this summer.”
The current World Player of the Year hinted last month he would be interested in moving back to his former club.
“I love Manchester and you never know in football. Of course I’m happy at Real Madrid; it’s my home, it’s my club, but United treated me unbelievably, so you never know,” Ronaldo told MUTV before United played Real Madrid during their tour of the United States of America.
“I am still in contact with some people there because I had a good relationship with everybody – it was like my second family.”
Ahead of United’s game at Leicester on Sunday, Van Gaal said his injury list had eased. “I have only six injuries now, (Chris) Smalling is back,” he said.
He denied Falcao’s arrival threatened Robin van Persie, who has yet to score this term. “I don’t think that Falcao interferes with Van Persie or Van Persie interfes with Falaco.
“Falcao is a very good striker but I said in the first press conference I like Van Persie also. He’s also a very good striker and we also have (Wayne) Rooney, (Adnan) Januzaj and (James) Wilson. We have five players for the two strikers’ positions and I have to choose.”
Guardian Service
