Speculation of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid exit has heated up recently, with the player hinting at a move away from Santiago Bernabeu in the weeks leading up to the release of his movie “Ronaldo”.
His unwillingness to commit to Los Blancos has reportedly upset the Madrid giants’ board, with rumors claiming that they are now ready to cash in on the 30-year-old goalscoring machine.
A return to Manchester United, where the Portuguese ace’s meteoric rise to stardom began under Sir Alex Ferguson, seems the likely outcome, though a reunion with Jose Mourinho at Chelsea remains a possibility.
Nonetheless, Red Devils playmaker Juan Mata stated that he believes a return to Old Trafford for the three-time Ballon d’Or winner is more “difficult” than meets the eye.
According to the Spanish playmaker, Cristiano remains a fan-favorite at Manchester United, but the player appears more than happy with his current side.
Speaking to Goal, Mata said: "I think it's difficult for that to happen, in truth.
"The respect and admiration that the people have for Cristiano (in Manchester) is incredible. You see it at the training ground, at the stadium, with so many photos of when he won all those titles there and did so well on a personal level as well.
"But it's complicated with him at a club like Real Madrid and happy there, which I think he is. He is a player who makes the difference in any league, obviously. But as it's very complicated at the moment, I prefer to focus on the players who are here, on playing well and achieving the club's objectives."
Is Cristiano Ronaldo truly happy at Real Madrid?
On November 21, Los Blancos will host rivals Barcelona in the highly-anticipated Clasico encounter. Heading into next Saturday’s epic clash, Ronaldo has failed to score in 5 of his last 8 outings for both club and country.
For any average player, this would not ring panic, but it is an alarming stat for a player of the Portuguese ace’s caliber.
With the three-time Ballon d’Or winner failing to score in his last two games for Les Meregues, Rafael Benitez will be hoping his star player will be firing on all cylinders when the Catalan giants come rolling in.
