Cristiano Ronaldo labels transfer talk as ‘fake news’

• Cristiano Ronaldo has distanced himself from news from Portugal that alleged he was eyeing to return to his old club Sporting Lisbon
• Cristiano returned to Man United last summer after 12 years away in a much-publicized transfer from Juventus.
• Ronaldo scored 18 Premier League goals last season with only Mohamed Salah and Heung-Min Son scoring more.

Cristiano Ronaldo has labeled talk of a return to Sporting Lisbon as “fake news” on Instagram.

Rumors began to circulate this weekend that Ronaldo could be set for a great return to his first club.

Portuguese TV channel Sport TV reported on their Instagram page about a photo circulating on social media that purported to show Ronaldo’s car in the parking lot of Sporting’s Jose Alvalade stadium.

However, Ronaldo rubbished the story by relying on Instagram: “Fake”.

A screenshot of Ronaldo’s response to Portuguese TV; Photo/Courtesy

Ronaldo’s future at Manchester United is in doubt after it was reported a few weeks ago that he wished to find a new club for next season.

Cristiano is concerned about the club’s ability to challenge for trophies next season and is unhappy about the prospect of not playing in the Champions League.

His agent Jorge Mendes has been offering his services to multiple clubs over the past weeks.

So far, it is widely acknowledged that the following clubs have been approached; Chelsea, Bayern Munich, PSG, Roma, Napoli, and Sporting Lisbon.

But Ronaldo has seemingly now ended any hope Sporting fans had of him returning to the club he played 31 times for and scored five goals for in 2002-03.

Cristiano returned to Man United last summer after 12 years away in a much-publicized transfer from Juventus.

The 37-year-old remains one of the most prolific players in the world, with his return to England causing United fans to dream of their returning hero leading them back to silverware.

Ronaldo has labeled transfer talk to Sporting as ‘fake’; Photo/BeSoccer

Most Premier League pundits, though, predicted a successful campaign for the Portugal great.

All in all, Ronaldo enjoyed an excellent season individually but it was a disaster from a team point of view as Man United endured their most disappointing campaign since the Premier League was formed in 1992, finishing sixth and winning no trophies.

Indeed, the veteran made an incredible start to the season with United as he scored four goals in his first week. This included his first Champions League goal in his first Champions League appearance of 2021-22 against Young Boys and a strike in a 2-1 win over West Ham.

With 18 Premier League goals, only Mohamed Salah and Heung-Min Son scored more.

Cristiano Ronaldo: 2021-22 stats

Appearances: 38

Starts: 34

Goals: 24

Assists: 3