Cristiano Ronaldo could reportedly complete a spectacular return to Sporting Lisbon this summer, with the legendary forward viewed as a potential replacement for Viktor Gyokeres.
Sporting are preparing to sell goal machine Gyokeres in the upcoming market, with Arsenal, Manchester United and Atletico Madrid among the clubs being linked with the Sweden international.
According to Fichajes, his departure could open the door for the Lisbon giants to re-sign Al-Nassr‘s Ronaldo, with the Portugal international, as it stands, set to be available on a free transfer at the end of June.
While Sporting would not have to pay a transfer fee for Ronaldo if his contract ends, it would still be a huge operation from a financial point of view, as the 40-year-old would want incredible wages.
The greatest goalscorer in the history of the sport, Ronaldo has found the back of the net on 934 occasions in 1,277 appearances for club and country, in addition to producing 257 assists.
Ronaldo arrived at Al-Nassr on a free transfer in January 2023, and he has scored 91 goals in 103 appearances for the Saudi Pro League outfit, in addition to providing 19 assists.
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Sporting ‘could re-sign Ronaldo’ this summer
The forward made the move to Sporting’s youth academy in 1997, eventually breaking into the first team in 2002, and he represented the club on 31 occasions, scoring five times and registering six assists in the process.
Ronaldo would then go on to represent Man United between 2003 and 2009, before moving to Real Madrid and then Juventus.
The forward returned to the Red Devils in 2021, managing another 27 goals in 54 appearances for the English club, but his relationship with the Premier League team eventually broke down, leading to his departure at the end of 2022.
Ronaldo managed 145 goals and 64 assists in 346 games for Man United across two spells, while he is Real Madrid’s all-time leading goalscorer with 450, which came in 438 appearances in all competitions.
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Is a return to Sporting realistic this summer?
Al-Nassr are believed to be keen to sign Ronaldo to another contract, but as it stands, he will be a free agent at the end of June, and it is certainly not impossible to see him returning to Sporting.
The forward is fully intending to represent Portugal at the 2026 World Cup, and the chance to return ‘home’ would surely appeal.
For Sporting, the deal makes a lot of sense, as although his wages would be huge, the shirt sales would be absolutely through the roof, and they could quite easily turn a profit in a deal of this magnitude.
Ronaldo is also still scoring goals at an incredible rate, and having the chance to win some more European silverware will be on offer for the forward, who is planning to continue playing professional football well into his 40s.
