19 years after his departure from the local club that made his fame in his country, when he moved from Sporting Club to Manchester United in 2003, Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo can now go in the opposite direction, according to press reports.
The 37-year-old scored 24 goals last season with the “Red Devils”, but things now look unclear as to his future under new coach Erik ten Hag.
Over time, the Portuguese international wants to make the most of it, and realize any chance of winning titles, which could lead to his departure from Old Trafford, after Manchester United lost the opportunity to participate in the Champions League next season, and it seems difficult to compete seriously for the title. “Premier League” in light of the strength of clubs such as Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea.
According to “Marca”, quoted by the newspaper “The Sun”, on Sunday, Sporting officials believe that they can now convince Ronaldo to return to the club.
Sporting Lisbon has already qualified for the Champions League next season, after being second in the league, which is a “temptation” that may seem exciting for Ronaldo, the tournament’s top scorer throughout its history.
Ronaldo appeared on the football scene through Sporting, a history that means a lot to the Portuguese star who used to crown the most important football tournaments.
“He should come back,” his mother, Dolores, said last year. “I already told him, son, before I die I want to see you come back to Sporting.”
According to her comment, Ronaldo said: “Let’s see.”
And if the dream deal happens, Ronaldo will not be the first player to return to Sporting in recent years, and it appears to be a strategy followed by the Portuguese club.
“Yes, without a doubt, I would like Ronaldo to finish his career here, at his home,” said Sporting president Bruno de Carvalho.
“He represents a lot for us and it would be nice for him to end his career here. He is a global ambassador. He always speaks well of us and how much he loves us.”
He continued, “We are making a great effort to get some players back to the club. We have already done that with Nani (who spent the 2014-2015 season on loan at Sporting), and we will see that many times.”
And if that happens, it will be like a “romantic” end to Ronaldo’s career, which spanned nearly two decades in Europe (he moved to Manchester United in 2003), but the transfer still seems difficult in the eyes of many, given the value of the Portuguese League and the capabilities of Sporting, compared to Ronaldo’s name and its current value. Even at the age of 37.