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JUVENTUS

Cristiano Ronaldo sets date for Sporting Lisbon return

According to Sport Mediaset, the Juventus forward wants to return to his boyhood club Sporting in the summer of 2022 to end his career in Portugal.

Update:
Cristiano Ronaldo sets date for Sporting Lisbon return
MARCO BERTORELLOAFP

Cristiano Ronaldo is thinking about a move back to boyhood club Sporting Lisbon in 2022, according to Sport Mediaset. The Juventus striker has long said that finishing his career in Portugal was a possibility and with his future in Turin up in the air it could be that the 36-year-old decides to make a return to the José Alvalade sooner rather than later. Ronaldo has been linked with a move away from Juventus this summer, with Real Madrid, PSG and Manchester United credited with varying degrees of interest, but if a transfer does not materialize Sporting will doubtless be delighted to welcome back their most famous son for a tilt at Portuguese dominance and a potential European run.

Ronaldo’s contract at Juventus expires in 2022 and although the Portugal captain has been tipped to move on this summer a cooling of interest from his potential suitors has left him with few options. Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez has ruled out a move for the club’s all-time top scorer and PSG and United seem to have other priorities. Under the current scenario, and given Ronaldo has shown little interest in a move to MLS or a money-spinner elsewhere, it seems increasingly likely he will see out his contract in Turin and become a free agent in a year’s time.

Ronaldo to come full circle with Sporting return?

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Ronaldo started out at Sporting Lisbon before famously catching the eye of Alex Ferguson during a friendly and moving to Old Trafford in 2009, later becoming the most expensive player in history at that stage when he was signed by Real Madrid in 2009. After breaking every scoring record in the books at the Bernabéu, Ronaldo moved to Juventus for a fee of €100 million in 2018.

The Portugal Captain made only a handful of appearances for Sporting but has often said he would like to return one day. “Ronaldo has an idea about his future: he wants to end his time at Juventus and go back to play for Sporting Lisbon for two years,” a Sport Mediaset reporter said on Monday.