Cristiano Ronaldo Aiming to 'Build Bridges' at Real Madrid in View to Potential Return
By Max Cooper
Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo is looking to 'build bridges' at former club Real Madrid, and the Portuguese forward has approached los Blancos over the possibility of a potential return to Santiago Bernabeu.
The 35-year-old starred in I Bianconeri's 2-0 victory over Cagliari on Saturday evening, scoring both goals and lifting his side into second position. His form on the pitch has remained consistent throughout his time in Serie A, but despite this, rumours continue to swirl over his future and a possible exit from Turin.
According to Spanish outlet Marca, Ronaldo is keeping his options open for the summer, and is even working to smooth over relationships at Madrid, after his shock departure back in the summer of 2018.
The ex-Manchester United star cut all ties with los Merengues upon leaving, only remaining in contact with full-back and close friend Marcelo. The two had a special relationship on the pitch, and it clearly extended off of it.
However, Ronaldo has made a U-turn in his behaviour, and began to build bridges with the club when he asked president Florentino Perez for a seat in the Bernabeu to watch Madrid's 3-1 victory over Barcelona in last month's Clasico.
The forward then posed for photos with Sergio Ramos and former favourite Pepe, sparking rumours that he had kissed and made up with his ex-teammates, putting their differences to one side. However, it is believed that Madrid are not particularly interested in seeing his return, due to his hefty wages and the fear that it's never quite the same, second time round.
So, for the moment, Ronaldo is purely laying the groundwork for a possible move. But he is scoring goals for fun in Italy, why would he want to leave? Well, it's no secret that Juventus are looking to lower their wage bill, having built up a rather bloated and ageing squad over the years.
The Portuguese superstar is by far the highest paid player at the club, earning an eye-watering €31m a year in Turin. With his contract set to expire in the summer of 2022, I Bianconeri are aware that they are approaching the last chance saloon to recoup some money in the form of a transfer fee before he has the opportunity to leave as a free agent in 18 months time.
Juve will have to decide whether to cut their losses on this investment in the summer, or wait it out for another season and see if their talisman can finally deliver the elusive Champions League trophy. That is, unless he decides he's had enough of Italy come the end of the season.