Jose Mourinho signs new deal - is Cristiano Ronaldo next for Man Utd?

Jose Mourinho has signed a new deal with Manchester United to keep him at the club until at least 2020.

The Special One quashed recent speculation that he might quit in the summer by putting pen to paper in a deal that could see him stay at Old Trafford until 2021 if both parties activate the option of an additional year. United announced the deal last night, with chief executive Ed Woodward saying Mourinho “has brought an energy and a sense of purpose to everything that he does and I am sure that will continue to bring results for the fans and the club”.

And might the Portuguese be able to bring something else to the club before long: a certain Cristiano Ronaldo, perhaps?

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With reports suggesting Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane is living on borrowed time, it is believed that the Spanish giants are set out for a “major renovation” in the summer - and Ronaldo could be first out of the door.

According to Sky Sports, Real Madrid have “no intention of paying Ronaldo the €50m [£43.7m]-per-year salary he is demanding”, and that has pricked up the ears of United.

Although the Manchester side bought Alexis Sanchez this week, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is on his way out at the end of the season, leaving a gap in the team. And while signing Ronaldo would be costly, United could expect to see a massive return on shirt sales and other merchandise geared around the 32-year-old.

Asked yesterday about the possibility of signing Ronaldo, Mourinho said: “Cristiano is the kind of player every manager wants, every club wants.”

According to Metro, United are genuinely interested in bringing the goal machine back to the club, which he left in 2009, and are “demanding that Madrid include Ronaldo in any deal for David De Gea”.

United are “resigned to losing” their Spanish goalkeeper at the end of this season after years of groundwork by Real, but believe Ronaldo can be included in any deal for the highly regarded gloveman, says the newspaper.

However, the Manchester Evening News says it is Neymar who holds the key to Ronaldo’s future. Citing Spanish newspaper Diario AS, the Evening News says that “Real will let him go on the condition they land Neymar”.

The Brazilian magician left Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain last summer, but rumours persist that he is angling for a return to the more challenging climes of La Liga.