Cristiano Ronaldo has been told what his next "best" move would be if he was to leave Manchester United this summer by his compatriot and Portugal team-mate Jose Fonte.
The Portugal international has told the Red Devils that he wants to leave the club this summer after a disappointing season in the Premier League. United finished sixth last year with their lowest points total of all time.
It also saw Ronaldo go the season without winning a trophy - the first time in over a decade despite being the club's top scorer with 24 in all competitions. United have insisted that the 37-year-old is going nowhere while Erik ten Hag is determined to keep hold of him, though the fact he has not turned up for training is a concerning one.
Whether the former Real Madrid and Juventus star can force a transfer away remains to be seen as he enters the final year of his contract. There has been interest from Chelsea while the likes of Bayern Munich, Napoli and AS Roma have also been interested.
But Fonte reckons that a return to the Bernabeu might be the best option for the veteran star, the club where he became arguably the best player the world and finished as their highest-ever goalscorer - no mean feat considering the size of Real Madrid.
The Lille defender told talkSPORT : “What I do know is that the man loves the Champions League. He believes it is the best competition in the world and knows how he has to perform to win Ballons d’Or.
“He needs to be winning trophies and competing for trophies for the Ballon d’Or. He is a serial winner, as everyone knows. He might be looking at the squad and thinking, ‘Am I going to be able to win some trophies this year?’
“Would he go back to Madrid? That would be, for him, the best. If they want him back or not, that’s a different question.”
Meanwhile, Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn has seemingly ruled out a move from the Bavarian club by insisting that they are not interested in the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
He said: “As highly as I rate Cristiano Ronaldo as one of the greatest, a transfer wouldn't be a fit with our philosophy.”
It leaves Chelsea as the frontrunner for Ronaldo's signature with Todd Boehly keen to mark his arrival as the club's new owner with a marquee arrival. Whether Thomas Tuchel would want another forward remains to be seen, though.
Raheem Sterling is on the brink of signing for the Blues while a move for Leeds United star Raphinha remains in limbo as Barcelona look to hijack a deal. United have already been desperate to sign a striker so the departure of Ronaldo would be a huge blow.
