As a young boy growing up in Madeira, he always knew that he wanted to play for Real Madrid. Cristiano Ronaldo made this dream a reality when the Spanish giants paid a world record fee to Manchester United just over five years ago, but there have been persistent rumours of his unhappiness since departing Old Trafford.
This could be something that United may yet prey on if they attempt to re-sign the Portuguese forward, as he bangs in goal after goal in a merciless pursuit of the decorated club’s scoring record.
Ronaldo’s feats in Madrid have been nothing short of phenomenal, no player in the modern era can lay claim to moving to a new club and having the sustained impact that the Portuguese has demonstrated. He now has 269 goals in 257 appearances for Real.
Raul, the Portuguese’s predecessor at No.7, is Real’s top scorer in both La Liga with 228 goals, and overall with 323. Only Alfredo Di Stefano joins the Spanish legend in breaking the 300 goal mark, a target that barring injury is well within Ronaldo’s grasp this term.
Elevating himself beyond such club greats is no doubt on the forward’s agenda, and this season it appears he is hunting them down at a severe rate of knots. This could be because he already knows it will be his last at the Bernabeu.
If certain reports are to be believed, the player was touted to United last summer, but the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson and astronomical figures have been blamed on the collapse of a deal. In any event, following his flirtation with leaving he signed a new bumper contract last September that tied him to Los Blancos for a further five years.
This may have been a security measure on behalf of the club to protect their asset, and it certainly would not be the first time that they have offloaded a highly valued, big name star. In the past two summers Real have sold Mesut Ozil and Angel Di Maria for a combined total that surpasses the £100 million mark, and Ronaldo would surely command a similar fee to the British transfer record that United paid for his former teammate.
These sales have funded the colossal purchases of Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez, in addition to other players such as Toni Kroos and Isco. Perhaps the time would be right to cash in on Ronaldo just after he passes the age of 30.
The reigning Ballon d’Or holder has 17 goals in just 11 games so far this season, and does not appear to be slowing down. His peak could last for a number of years yet, particularly as he has enjoyed a largely injury-free career and boasts an incredible physique.
Real have a minimum of 37 games remaining this term, with at least another two in the Champions League considering a strong start to the defence of their European crown. If Ronaldo features in just 35 more fixtures and continues at his current rate of scoring, he would finish the season with 323 goals for Real, the exact number scored by Raul.
Breaking the record this time round is not beyond the realms of possibility, and after securing La Decima, a La Liga title and two Copa del Rey crowns, the forward may think his work in Madrid is done. A final stratospheric payday could then be on the cards.