Cristiano Ronaldo will not return to Manchester United, says Di Maria

There has been persistent speculation for years that Ronaldo will one day return to Manchester United - speculation that always blows up again whenever Ronaldo speaks of his fond memories of his years in the Premier League.

But Argentine star Di Maria, who played with Ronaldo at the Bernabeu for four years, is sure that fans' hopes of an emotional return will never be fulfilled.

"I don't think he is coming back to Manchester," the Argentinian winger told Radio America.

"It's hard to quit Real Madrid. I think he's having a great time and I don't see that he wants to change."

Ronaldo, who has scored 26 goals in 15 games for Real this season, is hot favourite to claim a second successive Ballon d'Or award next week.

And last week reported claimed that Manchester United had set aside a "massive sum" in order to bring the superstar back to English football.

But Di Maria's words, and those of Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes last month (who insisted that Ronaldo will finish his career in Madrid) suggest that any move is doomed to fail.