It looks like Manchester United's hope of bringing Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford is running thin with Real Madrid reportedly willing to sign a new deal for a whopping fee, but they are likely to sign Barcelona midfielder Thiago Alcantara if reports have anything to go by.
Manchester United, whose £15million bid on the 21-year-old Barcelona midfielder was turned down last year, are on the verge of signing him in a £17million deal, according to the Daily Mail.
The report came after Thiago's father revealed his son's willingness to quit Barcelona.
"Thiago has the quality to succeed at Barca. But he'd play a lot more at another club. He'd get into any other team in the world. I don't know if Barca are buying more players in the summer. They already have a lot of players who can play in the middle. Also, [his brother] Rafinha will be part of the first team squad next season," Alcantara's dad Mazinho told Daily Mail.
Thiago is reportedly not happy with the way he is been treated at the Nou Camp, not getting enough playing time in the team despite assurance from the club at the time of signing.
The Spanish youngster has a €90m release clause with Barcelona but it has reportedly been reduced to €18m due to lack of game time in the club - he played less than 30 minutes in around 60 per cent of Barca's games, reported ESPN.
Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to stay at Bernabeu according to reports.
The Premier League champions want to sign former Manchester United winger after his contract with Real Madrid gets over in 2015, as they are currently not in the position to offer him as big as Monaco and Paris Saint Germain, according to The Independent.
Meanwhille, another report suggested that Real Madrid is on the verge of signing new deal with the Portuguese star for a whopping fee.
Real Madrid are in advanced talks with Ronaldo's representatives over a deal totalling around €155 million over five years, with the Portuguese forward set to earn €15m annually after tax, which would make him the world's highest-earning footballer, reported Goal.com.
The report came just a few days after the 28-year-old footballer announced on his facebook and twitter pages that the "news about my renewal with Real Madrid are false."
