Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly considering a return to Manchester United, according to The Athletic.
The striker, who plays for Italy’s Juventus and captains the Portugal national team, left Old Trafford to join Real Madrid at the end of the 2008/09 season. However, reports claim Ronaldo is open to a return to Manchester.
Juventus' failure to seal a top-four Serie A finish and qualify for next season’s Champions League could trigger Ronaldo’s exit. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Man U's Norwegian manager, has apparently reached out to the Portuguese in a bid to sign him.
Crucial Challenge for Juventus
If Juventus do miss out on Champions League football next season, the club might be ready to part ways with Ronaldo by cashing-in on him. He has another season with the Turin team before his four-year contract expires.
Juve, according to a report in AS, would likely seek a fee of around 25 million euros for the forward.
After claiming their 14th Coppa Italia on 19 May, the Old Lady's CL fate hangs in the balance as the team sits sixth in the league.
The club was sorely disappointed to cede its nine-year run as Italian champions, as Inter Milan won the title this year, while Juventus was also knocked out of the CL by Porto earlier in the season.
To seal a berth in next year's competition, Juve not only need to beat Bologna, but require Napoli or AC Milan to lose.
Career ‘Full Circle’
Dubbed one of the greatest players of all time, Ronaldo signed with Manchester United in 2003 at the age of 18.
He went on to win the FA Cup in his first season, and helped Manchester United win three successive Premier League titles, the UEFA Champions League, and the FIFA Club World Cup.
After his stint with Spain’s Real Madrid, the winner of five Ballon d’Or awards and four European Golden Boots, Juventus signed Ronaldo for €100 million (£88 million) in 2018. He won two Serie A titles and a Coppa Italia in his first three seasons with the club.
Ronaldo is also allegedly ready to take a pay cut to facilitate a return to Manchester, and has indicated that he would like to retire at his boyhood club Sporting CP in Lisbon.