Will Cristiano Ronaldo quit Man Utd to rejoin Real Madrid due to lack of UCL exposure?

Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo made a sensational return to the Old Trafford by re-joining Manchester United for his second spell during the 2021 summer transfer window. He signed a contract for two seasons with an option for the third one with United, but everything doesn’t seem to be all smooth sailing for neither the team nor Ronaldo. United currently sit sixth in the Premier League 2021-22 points table and was earlier knocked out of the UEFA Champions League 2021-22 after losing to Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16.

However, as reported by the English newspaper The Daily Mirror, Ronaldo could bring an early end to his second spell at Old Trafford and night return to Real Madrid. The 37-year-old exited Real Madrid in the summer of 2018, following his third successive Champions League title win with the team. He moved to Serie A side Juventus and returned to United for the 2021-22 season. Despite the fact that Madrid’s president Florentino Perez was unhappy with Ronaldo’s exit from the La Liga side, it is now being reported that both parties are now interested in his return. 

A look at Cristiano Ronaldo's Champions League stats

Meanwhile, PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe is understood to be Madrid’s first priority in the summer and if Mbappe decides to stay with PSG, Madrid will certainly go for Cristiano. During his eight-year spell at Madrid, Ronaldo scored a total of 450 goals and 132 assists in 438 games. He also won four Champions League titles and two league titles, alongside winning the Ballon d’Or award four times. 

Ronaldo’s return to Madrid might also be possible due to the 37-year-old striker’s desire to compete for the UCL title yet again. He became the first footballer to win the title five times, as he won it for the first time in 2008 with United, before winning in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2018 with Real Madrid. Ronaldo is the highest goal scorer in the tournament, excluding the qualifying stages as he has 140 goals to his credit. Out of the 140, Ronaldo has scored 105 goals while playing for the Spanish giants. 

In the 2021-22 season, Ronaldo is the leading goal scorer for United in all competitions as his goal tally stands at 23 goals in 37 games. Out of the 23, Ronaldo has scored six goals in seven Champions League goals. If the reports come out to be true, the football world might witness Ronaldo playing for Madrid again in the coming season.

Image: AP/Twitter/@ChampionsLeague