Football
Dermot Corrigan, Madrid correspondent 9y

Cristiano Ronaldo won't rejoin United, 'with Madrid to the death' - Mendes

Real Madrid attacker Cristiano Ronaldo has no intention of ever rejoining Manchester United, his agent Jorge Mendes has told Spanish radio station Cadena Cope.

Ronaldo, 29, spent six years at Old Trafford earlier in his career, and has been heavily linked with a return through recent months.

Reports in the British media that a deal was being put together ahead of a summer 2015 transfer had led many United fans to grow increasingly hopeful of the transfer taking place, with one group even hiring a plane to fly a "come home Ronaldo" banner over the El Madrigal stadium as Madrid won 2-0 at Villarreal last month.

The current Ballon d'Or holder's phenomenal 13 goals in six league games this season have only helped build optimism in Manchester over the move.

However his representative Mendes has told the programme El Partido de los 12 that his client was not interested in leaving the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu club, so there was no point in any other clubs even picking up the phone to enquire.

"[Ronaldo] is loved by United because his heart was there for six years," the Portuguese super agent said.

"But now he is just thinking about Real Madrid and he will stay here forever. He could not be happier. He respects the people who remember him, but he is with Madrid to the death.

"I do not receive offers because people know it is impossible to take Cristiano out of Real Madrid, so it is not worth calling to ask about him."

Ronaldo's most recent hat-trick during Sunday's 5-0 dismantling of Athletic Bilbao took him to a record mark of 22 trebles in La Liga, alongside legendary figures Alfredo Di Stefano and Telmo Zarra.

The Portugal captain now has 269 goals in 257 games for Madrid, within reach of Di Stefano's total of 307 and Raul's club record of 323.

His current contract, signed just over 12 months ago, runs until June 2018, and pays around 20 million euros a year. Mendes suggested his client was keen to stay much longer at the Bernabeu, overcome all the available challenges there, and potentially play for Madrid for another decade or more.

"You are never going to find another like him," he said. "He is getting better every day, and will be maybe better until he is 40.

"Cristiano is very happy at Real Madrid and has always been very happy. He will beat all the records there are to beat at the Blancos club and he will retire here."

The Gestifute agency chief was equally fulsome in his praise of Ronaldo as a player and a person.

"As well as being the best player, he is the best athlete in the world," Mendes said. "You cannot compare him with anyone.

"There will be nobody like him in the next 500 years. He is a very humble and family-focused person. A spectacular father. He is the son any mother would want to have.

"He worries about other people. He has so many good things it is impossible to describe him."

Ronaldo is set to return to Manchester next month, but it will be in national colours as Portugal take on Argentina in a friendly on Nov. 18.

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