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Former Real Madrid forward Fernando Morientes has advised Cristiano Ronaldo to return to Sporting CP this summer. The Portuguese superstar's contract with Al-Nassr expires next month, and his future remains up in the air.
Recent reports have suggested that the 40-year-old icon is ready to cut ties with the Saudi club in search of a new adventure. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner remains linked with a return to Lisbon, although talks of a sensational reunion with Los Blancos refuse to die.
However, speaking to CasinoHawks (as cited by GOAL), Morientes has insisted that a move to the Santiago Bernabeu is impossible.
“As a footballer, we Real Madrid fans enjoyed Cristiano's best years at the Bernabeu. The impact he's had on modern football has been incredible. As you get older, obviously not just him, but everyone, expectations and ambitions change and you have to lower your standards a bit,” Morientes said.
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He continued:
“I think when a player of that age joins the Saudi Pro League, it's to finish his professional footballing career and begin retirement. I don't know if he has any special motivation to wear a shirt; for example, Sporting Lisbon's was where he started. Obviously, Real Madrid's is almost impossible now.”
He concluded:
“I like to see him where I see him, and I'd like him to retire wherever he wants to. I really like those players who start out with one team and end up retiring there. I don't know if Cristiano would have that motivation to do so at Sporting.”
Cristiano Ronaldo has registered 91 goals and 19 assists from 103 games for Al-Nassr to date.
How many goals has Cristiano Ronaldo scored for Real Madrid?
Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at Real Madrid from Manchester United in the summer of 2009 in a reported £80m deal. The Portuguese arrived at the Santiago Bernabeu as a football superstar, but took his game to a higher level with Los Blancos.
Ronaldo spent nine seasons with the LaLiga giants, winning 16 trophies, including two league titles and four of his five Champions League trophies. Cristiano Ronaldo left Real Madrid in 2018 to join Juventus, who reportedly paid €112m for his signature.
By then, the Portuguese legend had scored 450 goals from 438 games for Los Blancos. Ronaldo remains the club's record goalscorer to this day. After three years in Turin and a brief second stint with Manchester United (2021-22), Ronaldo moved to Al-Nassr in December 2022.
