Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand hoping Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo returns to Old Trafford

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has his hopes on Cristiano Ronaldo returning to Old Trafford this summer but is not sure if the 32-year-old will leave Real Madrid.

Ronaldo is believed to be angling for a move away from Madrid this summer after being angered by allegations of tax fraud and his discontent has sparked reports of a potential world-record £131.4m move back to Old Trafford, where he started his development into becoming one of the most devastating forwards that football has ever seen.

Their alleged pursuit of Ronaldo received a major boost on Monday (19 June) after Bayern Munich president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge rubbished reports linking the Bundesliga champions with a move for the former Sporting Lisbon wonderkid.

Ferdinand watched first hand as Ronaldo began evolving into the player he is today and the former Manchester United and West Ham United star, who once held a transfer record himself when United paid Leeds United £29.1m for his services in the summer of 2002, expressed his desire to see his former club bring the 32-year-old back to England.

"I hope (he'll return)," Ferdinand, a teammate of Ronaldo's for six seasons at Old Trafford, was quoted as saying by The Belfast Telegraph. "I'm a Manchester United fan, and my kids love him, so I hope that he'll be back. But will he leave Real Madrid? I don't know."

Ferdinand is not certain of Ronaldo's true desires, and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez also seems unsure how to gauge the recent reports about the decorated forward's unhappiness.

Perez, who was re-elected Madrid president until 2021 after standing unopposed for the role, described the situation surrounding the former Manchester United star as 'very strange' and revealed that he is yet to speak with the Portugal international, who is currently with his national team in Russia for the Confederations Cup, about the sorry episode.

The Real Madrid chief, currently in his second spell as president at The Santiago Bernabeu, also provided an update on the futures of Alvaro Morata and James Rodriguez, saying that no bids have been made for the pair despite substantial interest from Premier League clubs.