After coming under heavy criticism after Juventus' UEFA Champions League elimination at the hands of Porto, rumors linking Cristiano Ronaldo with a Serie A exit hit an all-time high. In the days following their European embarrassment, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner was tipped to rejoin former club Real Madrid but according to reports out of Italy, this is not the case.
The Portuguese icon was slammed for turning his back on the Porto free-kick that sent the Italians packing, and with the Old Lady crashing out of the Champions League early for the third year running, they could look to cash in on the high-earning 36-year-old. This was when the Real Madrid rumors popped up, with rumors claiming Los Blancos look to bring their all-time leading scorer back to the Bernabeu and partner him with one of Kylian Mbappe or Erling Haaland.
Tuttosport have now rubbished these claims, reporting that a return to the Spanish capital is almost impossible for CR7 as Florentino Perez is fully focused on bringing Mbappe. In fact, the Italian publication state that Cristiano "is more likely to make a return to Manchester United than Real Madrid" due to Perez's pursuit of the Frenchman.
Real Madrid's interest in the 2018 World Cup winner is for obvious reasons. Given his age and goalscoring form, the PSG superstar could spearhead Zidane's attack to success for many years. Furthermore, the fact that he is entering the final year of his Parc des Princes contract has Perez licking his lips. Regardless, prying him from the Qatari-owned club will not be easy and will require a hefty transfer fee.
As for Man United, while they are tipped as the likelier destination for Ronaldo, it is still hard to see Solskjaer resigning their iconic no.7. Since arriving at Old Trafford, the Norwegian boss has shifted the club's transfer policy towards younger players. As a result, Cristiano could easily spend a fourth season in Turin.
