Just days after Cristiano Ronaldo squashed rumors linking him with a move away from Real Madrid, transfer speculation of the Portuguese ace’s Santiago Bernabeu exit has once again made the headlines.
This time, the three-time Ballon d’Or winner’s rumored destination is one that many Blancos fans would find impossible to fathom: rivals Barcelona.
This transfer report was sparked by comments made by the 30-year-old himself during an interview with the Associated Press on Thursday, in which the former Man United ace admitted that a move to the Blaugrana or a non-Red Devils English Premier League side is “complicated” before adding that “everything is open”.
"It's a little more difficult, but...," Cristiano said, as he spoke about his future.
"There are things that you kind of already have an idea, that to play one day for Barcelona would be almost impossible, or to play for another English club other than Manchester, it's very complicated.
"But that's not 100 per cent guaranteed. As I said before, there are no certainties in football. Everything is open, all leagues. I may end my career here with Real Madrid. I'm just being honest.
"I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. If I was 75 per cent certain, I would say so, it wouldn't be a problem. But I have no idea."
These remarks by the 10-time Champions League winners’ all-time leading goalscorer comes after he committed his future to Les Merengues in the wake of Tuesday’s record 8-0 win over Malmo.
However, he has now backtracked on his previous statement, insisting that while he remains happy at Real Madrid, his future remains unknown and undecided.
"As a football professional, this is always an unknown, so I prefer to stay in the present," he added.
"The present is good and I'm enjoying being at Real Madrid. But in a few years I don't know how I'm going to be thinking.
"When it's closer to ending my contract I'm going to have to make decisions, whether it's staying at Real Madrid or going to another club or ending my career in a few years.
"It's normal. That's why I'm not worried, because I know that everything has a beginning and everything has an end.
"I'm ready for that. I'm ready to stay at Real Madrid, to leave, to end my career when it's time. It's part of my job."
CR7 had previously committed his future to the Blancos after his record 4-goal haul vs Malmo on Tuesday
A rift between Cristiano and manager Rafael Benitez is believed to be at the core of the player's desire to quit Los Blancos, though in all honesty, rumors of a Madrid exit preceded the arrival of the former Napoli and Liverpool boss.
