The fairytale reunion between Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester United may be short-lived if rumours are to be believed. Speculations are rising that the Portuguese star may force an exit next summer if the Red Devils fail to qualify into the UEFA Champions League next season.

Ronaldo made the sensational "homecoming" move back to United this summer after spending over a decade making himself an international superstar at Real Madrid and more recently with Italian giants Juventus FC.

12 years later, Ronaldo is back at Old Trafford and despite some amazing performances, he has not been able to single-handedly bring the club back up to the top of the table. As it stands, United are at 6th place in the Premier League. If their results don't improve for the rest of the season, they are running the risk of finishing outside the top 4. That will effectively mean that they will fail to qualify for the UCL.

If this happens, unconfirmed reports are stating that Ronaldo may want to peddle his wares elsewhere. He may seek a move to a team that is fighting for trophies and playing European football.

Manchester United have been in an extended crisis for many years since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, and Ronaldo's comeback was seen as a step in the right direction. The question is, how committed is he to the cause and how much patience does he have?

In a recent interview quoted by Marca, Ronaldo confirmed that he did not return to United to ease himself into retirement. He said that he is still as hungry as ever when it comes to chasing silverware. "I said what I felt in that moment, that I'm here to win things," he said shortly after his move was confirmed. "Manchester United is a sign of winning things and I'm not here for holidays," he added.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner also shared that he wants to help the club rebuild, and he sees a lot of potential in the younger players in the squad. "I said to them I see huge potential in this team. They have very young players, players with potential, and I'm here to win and to help the team to build new stuff."

Based on those words, it appears as though Ronaldo is willing to stay and help the team, but his frustrations are also quite evident when the results on the pitch are not to his liking.

Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to salvage a 2-2 draw for Manchester United away to Atalanta AFP / Marco BERTORELLO