Mesut Ozil hopes for Cristiano Ronaldo stay at Real Madrid

Mesut Ozil has expressed his desire to see Cristiano Ronaldo stay at Real Madrid.

The Portuguese international forward, who is reportedly stalling on a new contract at the Bernabeu, has been linked with an £80m return to Manchester United.

"Cristiano Ronaldo is very important to the team," midfielder Ozil told CNN. "Just look at all the goals he has scored in the past few seasons.

"He's a great person off the field. I hope he can stay here for a long time because he can help us win important titles."

Ronaldo has two years remaining on his current deal with Los Blancos.