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What's the story?
Cristiano Ronaldo admitted to a Madrid court last week that he wants to return to England, according to Sky Sports. The Real Madrid star, who has been accused of tax fraud in Spain appeared before the Spanish court, and was understandably infuriated by the accusations.
The report by Sky Sports details that Ronaldo thinks he has paid more tax than he ought to have since his move to Madrid from Manchester United eight years ago. He went on to add, "I never had these problems in England. That's why I want to go back there."
The charges on the Portuguese at the moment are that he 'evaded £13m in tax by using three off-shore companies based in the British Virgin Islands'.
In case you didn't know...
Ronaldo moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid back in 2009, for a then world record fee of £80 million. Since then, the forward has gone from strength to strength, leading Real Madrid to two La Liga titles and three Champions League titles.
However, his success in Spain hasn't stopped the media from speculating a return to the home of the 20-time English champions. Especially this transfer window, when the revelations regarding his accusations led to reports that the 4-time Ballon d'Or winner might be moving back to England.
The heart of the matter
Ronaldo, now 32 years old, is undoubtedly one of the two best players in the world, if not the best. His ability to inspire his team to success has continued to set him apart from the rest, making him one of the most sought after players despite his age.
It remains unclear whether his comments about returning to England were born out of frustration due to the accusations, but not a lot of people would be surprised if the Portuguese national team captain decides to move back to Old Trafford before eventually hanging up his boots.
What's next?
A move for Ronaldo in the immediate future seems unlikely, especially given his current team and Manchester United are due to play the European curtain raising Super Cup in less than a week's time.
However, given his global appeal, you wouldn't put it beyond Ed Woodward and his entourage to get back the prodigal son back to where it all began.
Author's take
Given these comments were made in a courtroom, where tensions are bound to run high, it is difficult to draw conclusions. But, it will undoubtedly generate a lot of speculation regarding his long term future at Real Madrid.
