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Cristiano Ronaldo has been in stellar form of late but his future may lie away from Manchester United. The Red Devils are heading into what's expected to be a massive summer overhaul of sorts. They are planning to do a squad rebuild and it remains to be seen who all from the current roster will be at the club next season.
Cristiano Ronaldo might not be in Erik ten Hag's plans for next season
The rebuild will be overseen by new manager Erik ten Hag, who will join the club in the summer. As per Portuguese journalist Pedro Almeida, Cristiano Ronaldo is not part of Erik ten Hag's plans for next season.
Manchester United are also unlikely to qualify for the Champions League next season and Ronaldo will want to play for a club that fights for the biggest title in Europe.
As such, the talismanic striker could switch clubs for a second successive summer. At the age of 37, he has shown that he still has what it takes to perform at the highest level. Hence, he is likely to find quite a lot of potential suitors in the transfer market.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five possible destinations for Cristiano Ronaldo next season.
#5 Sporting Lisbon
Could Cristiano Ronaldo return to his childhood club this summer? We have seen plenty of players return to their former clubs in the final phase of their respective careers. Ronaldo could do that this summer and it's interesting to note that he has not ruled out a return to Sporting Lisbon.
Ronaldo's mother Dolores Aveira revealed on the ADN de Lea program podcast in September 2021 that she wishes her son would return to Sporting. She said:
"Ronaldo has to come back here. If it were my choice, he would already be here. He likes to watch Sporting games. I've already told him: 'Son, before I die, I want to see you return to Sporting'. He says: 'Let's see': But if it can't be him, then Cristianinho!"
So there's a very good chance that a return to Sporting will be in the back of Ronaldo's mind this summer. But given the level he is playing at right now, he might want to give it another shot at a bigger club.
#4 Bayern Munich
Robert Lewandowski is the most prolific striker in all of Europe right now. He has been an invaluable asset to Bayern Munich in the last decade but they are running the risk of losing him this summer. As per Sky Sport Germany, the Poland international is keen to leave Bayern Munich this summer.
He only has a little over a year remaining on his current contract. As such, if the player wishes to leave, it's advisable for the Bavarians to cash in on him. Otherwise, they will lose him on a free transfer next summer.
They will need to sign a prolific goalscorer to replace Lewandowski. Ronaldo would be hungry to win a league title in Germany and make it four league titles in four different countries.
#3 Manchester United
Maybe, just maybe, Erik ten Hag has changed his mind about Cristiano Ronaldo after seeing his performances in recent weeks. Here is a player who has achieved almost everything in the game and his presence could be crucial to the dressing room during a squad rebuild.
If Manchester United can convince Ronaldo to stay despite not qualifying for the Champions League, it would be a great boost for them. The 37-year-old has a long and illustrious history at Manchester United and leaving the club for a second time would be a difficult decision regardless.
#2 Paris Saint-Germain
What an absolute fairytale ending this would be for both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi's careers? With Kylian Mbappe likely to leave Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, the Parisians will need to sign a proven goalscorer.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has now admitted that rumors about Mbappe moving to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer might be true. Speaking to Movistar (via Marca) earlier this week, Perez said:
"I hadn't thought about it [Mbappe] but now that you mention it, it might be true and so on. When we plan next year's squad, we'll see."
The sheer marketing potential of having Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr. and Cristiano Ronaldo on the same team could prove to be too much to pass up for PSG.
#1 Real Madrid
According to The Mirror, Real Madrid are interested in bringing Cristiano Ronaldo back to the Santiago Bernabeu this summer. Ronaldo is arguably the greatest player in Real Madrid's history and will receive a hero's welcome upon his return.
Real Madrid could benefit from having another top striker as they have looked a bit bereft of ideas whenever Karim Benzema has been unfit to play this season. But with the form that the Frenchman is in right now, it will be almost impossible to displace him from the starting lineup.
Ronaldo is currently an out-and-out center forward and will definitely contemplate his role at Real Madrid before deciding to move. Benzema has played a supporting role for Ronaldo in the past. However, it remains to be seen when he'll be open to doing that again especially when he is in the form of his life.
