Cristiano Ronaldo Rubbishes Speculations Of His Return To Sporting Lisbon

Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has finally spoken out following transfer speculations, rumors about him returning to Sporting Lisbon.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner previously announced his plan to exit Old Trafford this summer transfer window as he hopes to join the Champions League after Manchester United is positioned in a sixth-place finish last Premier League season. Ronaldo did not travel to Thailand with the squad for United's pre-season tour; he has been allowed to extend his time off due to "family issues." Ronaldo's absence is also expected on Red Devils' upcoming Australia tour.

On Sunday, Sport TV Portugal shared a photo of Ronaldo's car with the following statement on Instagram, "A photo circulates on social media that they say is of the Portuguese's car in the garage of Jose Alvalade."

Rumors followed, pointing to the possibility that Ronaldo was there to talk about a surprising comeback for the coming season. However, The 37-year-old was quick to rubbish the news stating they are false. He commented below the Instagram post by simple writing, "Fake."

Several teams were reportedly interested in signing the striker, however, there is still no confirmation on where he will be next after weeks of fans' speculations. Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich rejected the opportunity to sign him, while Chelsea have also ended their reported pursuit of the United's legendary forward after expressing an interest in him.

Meanwhile, an unnamed Saudi Arabia club have reportedly made a bid to sign Ronaldo with a salary appearing to be £2 million ($2 million) per week, however, Ronaldo is said to have rejected the proposal. Despite the massive offer that Ronaldo received he continues to seek a club where he can play Champions League football.

According to ESPN, La Liga giants Atletico Madrid are monitoring Ronaldo at Old Trafford. He had a quite bitter rivalry history with the club for several years, especially during his time with Real Madrid – Atletico’s most intense rival. Diego Simeone’s side are said to be monitoring the developments surrounding Ronaldo. However, the report claimed that Atletico are not currently planning to make a move for Ronaldo.