“Manchester United are the club of my heart, I loved it there and I want to go back some day”.
It appears as though following some choice comments by Ronaldo and Florentino Perez that Ronaldo's wish might become a reality in the near future.
The stand-off involving Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, superstar footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and super agent Jorge Mendes has kicked off through a series of out-of-context quotes that have actually led to serious consideration over Ronaldo's future.
The story has many facets with a trident of people fighting on several different fronts for two different causes. It seems as though Ronaldo might be looking at the possibility of jumping before he is pushed and, along with Jorge Mendes, has become involved in a battle of words in the Spanish media.
Florentino Perez infamously buys players that he thinks are more marketable than others without much dialogue or thought extended to the manager of the club. The signings of James Rodriguez and Toni Kroos usher in a new era of Galacticos that means Xabi Alonso and Angel di Maria were excess to requirements and shown the door. With little thought put into just how this might affect tactics and squad balance, it is now clear that many players believe Di Maria, in particular, was treated poorly by the powers that be at the Santiago Bernabeu.
EPA/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA
Ronaldo was one of those people and made it clear with his comment that he "would have done things differently" were he in charge of business during the summer transfer window. To a man of Florentino Perez' standing and ego, this is the kind of shot that could end your tenure as a player with Real Madrid. Ronaldo's footballing prowess and positive effect on jersey sales can only afford him so much clout when it comes to speaking his mind.
Ronaldo's age and injury history must also be taken into account. The Portuguese attacker turns 30 in February and Perez, previously intent on keeping Ronaldo at the club until the end of his career, has hit back with his own dig claiming that "nobody is indispensable".
There is concern that Ronaldo's patellar tendinitis of the knee could cause breakdowns at the most inopportune moments of this season with the whole world looking at how the club go about regaining the Champions League for consecutive seasons. This degenerative knee injury could reduce the Ballon d'Or winners valuation and moving him on might be seen as necessary to Perez' Galacticos model of business.
It must also be noted that egos play a part in this saga. Gareth Bale has arrived in Madrid with an excellent attitude, was pivotal in bringing la Decima to the club in his first season and has potential to be the biggest name player at the club. He has overtaken Ronaldo, to an extent, in how Real Madrid play and his work rate is exceptional, which has been duly noted by the fans.
The current holder of the Ballon d'Or award has made it quite clear, recently and many times before, that he would love to return to Old Trafford one day. He has mentioned how special his time there was and it wouldn't be a stretch to think that a move back to Manchester before he retires is possible.
With Angel Di Maria already at United and Ronaldo's previous quotes about Manchester United, it is becoming all the more realistic that he would return to England's north-west sooner rather than later.
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