Louis Van Gaal keen to bring back Cristiano Ronaldo

Louis van Gaal has confirmed Manchester United's interest in bringing Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford.

Ronaldo hinted he would be interested in going back to United

 Ronaldo, who left United for Real Madrid in a world record £80m transfer in the summer of 2009, has become disillusioned at the Bernabeu in recent weeks. The 29-year-old publicly questioned the decision of club president Florentino Perez to sanction the £59.7m sale of Angel Di Maria to United.

With the Portuguese forward only one year into a five-year contract worth £300,000 a week, the prospects of a deal to sell the player back to United remains in the balance, with Real unlikely to accept anything less than the fee they paid for Ronaldo five years ago. But when asked yesterday whether he could bring him back to United, Van Gaal said: "Yes, but it's always a discussion in the papers, and I don't think the media shall buy Ronaldo."

While admitting his interest in Ronaldo, Van Gaal conceded that Real would be likely to resist any offer.

But the Dutchman cited the example of United's recent loan acquisition of Radamel Falcao from AS Monaco as an example of the club's readiness to pursue the world's top players.

"It is possible," Van Gaal said. "That's what I have said with (Radamel) Falcao. Players like Ronaldo give a lot extra to a team, but I don't think Real Madrid shall sell him."

Despite the obvious financial obstacles of pursuing Ronaldo, the player's looming 30th birthday next February and Real's recent acquisitions of Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez - two younger, emerging Galacticos - have led to suggestions in Spain that Perez could contemplate selling Ronaldo next summer.

Relations between Perez and Ronaldo, which became strained during the player's contract negotiations during 2013, remain tense following the forward's public criticism last month of the decision to sell Di Maria to United and Xabi Alonso to Bayern Munich.

"I have strong opinions but I can't always say what I think," Ronaldo said. "Otherwise it would be on the front page and I don't want that. If it was up to me, I wouldn't have done so (sold Di Maria and Alonso), but if the president thinks the best thing for the team is to sign players and let others leave, we must respect the decision."

Ramon Calderon, Perez's predecessor as Real president, added to the perception of Ronaldo becoming unsettled at Madrid by claiming earlier this week that the player had become tired of Perez.

"My impression is he is fed up with the policy of the current president," Calderon said. "(Gonzalo) Higuain was sold and he didn't like that. Last year, he thought it was a mistake to let (Mesut) Ozil leave and the last straw was selling Xabi Alonso and Angel Di Maria this summer."

United's financial strength, which will be bolstered next summer by the start of their £75m-a-year kit deal with Adidas, ensures that the club would be at the forefront of any transfer battle for Ronaldo, who claimed during pre-season that he could not dismiss the prospect of a return to Old Trafford.

"I love Manchester and you never know in football," Ronaldo said last month.

"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. I am still in contact with some people there because I had a good relationship with everybody - it was like my second family."

United made strenuous efforts to re-sign the player during the summer of 2013 and their hopes may be boosted by Jose Mourinho admitting he had a lukewarm relationship with his fellow countryman during his three-year reign as Real manager.