Former Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will not be returning to Sporting Lisbon this summer.
The Portuguese international has been linked with a fairy tale return to his boyhood club ahead of the 2021/22 season after enduring a mixed campaign with Serie A giants Juventus.
Ronaldo’s mother Dolores Aveiro also fuelled speculation over him going back to Lisbon by claiming she would ‘talk to her son about a return’.
However, despite speculation over the 36-year old’s next move, as he enters the final year over his contract in Turin, his agent Jorge Mendes has confirmed there will be no move this summer.
“Cristiano is proud of the title won by Sporting (this season), as he has publicly demonstrated,” Mendes told an interview with Portuguese outlet Record.
“But at the moment his career plans do not go through Portugal.”
Ronaldo’s career exploded in his early days at Sporting Lisbon, which earned him a high profile move to Manchester United in 2003, before joining Los Blancos in a then world record £80m deal and going on to become the club’s highest ever goal scorer.
He is expected to shake off a minor injury picked up early this month to lead Portugal at this summer’s European Championships with Fernando Santos due to announce his confirmed squad this month.