Cristiano Ronaldo would leave Madrid next summer with £500,000-a-week to join Manchester United or Chelsea

Cristiano Ronaldo will demand a ground-breaking £500,000-a-week to join either Chelsea or Manchester United next summer.

Real Madrid star Ronaldo last week confirmed a story Football Grapevine broke 18 months ago that he was on the verge of re-joining United in the summer of 2013.

That deal was scuppered by the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson and the fact that United were not prepared to pay Ronaldo what he wanted and eventually got on a new deal with Real Madrid which is in the region of £350,000-a-week.

Since then, United have given Wayne Rooney a £300,000-a-week contract and last week signed Ramadal Falcao on a deal which will earn the Colombian £280,000-a-week.

Falcao’s deal was sealed by super-agent Jorge Mendes, who is also Ronaldo’s agent.

That United's American owners the Glazers have been prepared to loosen the purse strings to such an extent has encouraged Ronaldo to consider a return back to the Barclays Premier League.

Indeed, Ronaldo last week hinted that he could leave Real Madrid next summer. And he would be ready to move back to Old Trafford which was on the brink of happening in summer 2013 but the deal collapsed over the players wage demands.

The new policy at United has now changed the financial dynamic.

But, given the links Mendes has with Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho and owner Roman Abramovich, Ronaldo could also be tempted to a move to the west London club.