AS have been inspired.

Real Madrid’s disastrous season, Cristiano Ronaldo failing to be effective, and claims from Spanish radio of using the Portuguese star as part of a deal for Neymar have been thrown into the mixer and out the other end has come… CRISTIANO RONALDO TO MANCHESTER UNITED.

The prospect has AS’s front page on Monday, no less,

Inside, AS say ‘Cristiano wants to leave and United is his priority’.

Ronaldo is said to consider his time at Real Madrid is done in the summer, and wants to return to Old Trafford. A return to Manchester United is ‘closer than ever’, which presumably means it’s closer than all the other times it was ‘closer than ever’.

The Ballon d’Or winner has already informed several of his teammates about the situation, and Ronaldo’s mind is reportedly made up. He’s angry with Florentino Perez for reneging on a promise of a new contract, which seems to be how these things often go.

A breakdown in relationship between the two men is said to be at least partly behind Ronaldo’s poor form recently.

The Manchester United ship may have sailed for Ronaldo, with last summer seeming the last window a move looked like it may have a chance of benefitting all parties.

With Ronaldo turning 33 years of age in February, his powers will be on the wane, and it’s not Manchester United’s responsibility to give him a final big contract and a nice place to see out the rest of his career.

But, then again, he is still Ronaldo.