Juan Mata says that it is highly unlikely Cristiano Ronaldo will be returning to Manchester United, as he believes the Real Madrid superstar is happy at Madrid.

The centre of all this ‘Ronaldo to Manchester United return’ rumours is Ronaldo himself, whose recent comments have sparked wild speculations on his future.

Ronaldo insists that he is happy at Madrid, but at the same time hasn’t ruled out a possible move elsewhere once his contract at the club expires.

And when asked about his chances of returning to Old Trafford, the Madrid record goal scorer didn’t completely rule out the option, saying he wants to finish his career playing for a top club and at a top league.

David Beckham has urged United to try everything to bring Ronaldo back to Old Trafford again, but club legend and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville believes United should be looking to sign Ronaldo’s Real Madrid team-mate Gareth Bale instead.

“I think it’s difficult for that to happen, in truth,” Mata told Goal in an exclusive interview.

“The respect and admiration that the people have for Cristiano (in Manchester) is incredible. You see it at the training ground, at the stadium, with so many photos of when he won all those titles there and did so well on a personal level as well.

“But it’s complicated with him at a club like Real Madrid and happy there, which I think he is. He is a player who makes the difference in any league, obviously. But as it’s very complicated at the moment, I prefer to focus on the players who are here, on playing well and achieving the club’s objectives.”

Ronaldo spent six successful season at Old Trafford between 2003 and 2009, where he scored 118 goals, and won nine trophies for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side. 

Chelsea are reportedly interested in signing Ronaldo as well. Spanish newspaper AS claimed recently that Roman Abramovich, the Chelsea owner, is willing to dish out more than €100m to sign the Portuguese international.