Cristiano Ronaldo brought a dead rumor back to life by uttering three words: “You never know.”
During a press conference Friday, Ronaldo spoke glowingly about Manchester United and his time there. The Portuguese superstar then refused to rule out a potential return to the Premier League club, according to ESPN.
“I love Manchester, and to be back, I never know, you never know,” Ronaldo said. “(In) football you never know. Of course, I’m happy at Real Madrid, it’s my home, it’s my club, but Manchester treated me unbelievable so we never know.”
“It was one of my favourite clubs, Manchester. Everyone knows that every time when I speak about Real Madrid I should speak about Manchester United, I loved it there.
Ronaldo played for Manchester United from 2003-2009. Ronaldo scored 118 goals in 292 games, helping the club win three Premier League titles, two League Cups, one FA Cup, one UEFA Champions League title and one FIFA Club World Cup crown. Manchester United sold Ronaldo to Real Madrid in the summer of 2009 for a then world-record £80 million ($122.2 million).
Ronaldo is entering the second year of a five-year contract he signed with Real Madrid in Sept. 2013. Ronaldo’s existing deal expires in 2018, and any interested team would have to pay Real Madrid a significant transfer fee in order to sign him.
While Ronaldo is settled and thriving at Real Madrid (scoring an eye-popping 252 goals in 246 games), there was a time when that wasn’t the case. A little more than a year before Ronaldo signed the new contract, he voiced his discontent with life at the club. In the ensuing 12 months, there was constant speculation that Ronaldo might return to Old Trafford. There were even rumors last summer that Manchester United was preparing a £80 million ($122.2 million) transfer bid for its former hero, but a move never materialized.
After that, it was all quiet on the Ronaldo front. That is, until Friday when the rumor mill began to turn once again.
