Cristiano Ronaldo Juventus Serie AGetty

Sporting president claims Ronaldo return will happen 'one day' as Juventus star sees future questioned

Cristiano Ronaldo has seen a return to Sporting mooted, as questions are asked of his future at Juventus, and Frederico Varandas claims a homecoming will happen "one day".

A retracing of steps by a five-time Ballon d'Or winner is not expected to happen this summer, with Jorge Mendes suggesting that no deal will be done at this point.

Ronaldo is, however, approaching the final year of his contract at Juventus and, having passed a 36th birthday, is seeing new challenges speculated on.

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What has been said?

Quizzed on whether Ronaldo will head back to Lisbon at some stage, Sporting president Varandas told Sic Noticias: "I think he will play here one day. 

"Cristiano was among the first to send me a message to congratulate us for the championship victory. 

"Now, however, he has another year on his contract with Juve and I know he wants to continue competing to win the Champions League. 

"Obviously his return here depends on him: in addition to being a great player, Cristiano is a great fan of Sporting."

When did Ronaldo leave Sporting?

Nicky Butt Manchester United Cristiano Ronaldo Sporting 2003Getty

An all-time great burst onto the scene in his homeland as a tricky winger, with legendary former Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson quickly noting his potential.

Arsenal were also interested at that stage, but a move to Old Trafford was made in the summer of 2003.

Six years were spent with the Red Devils, with Ronaldo claiming three Premier League titles, a Champions League crown and his first Golden Ball.

A record-breaking transfer took him to Real Madrid in 2009, with even greater heights hit in Spain.

A remarkable haul of 450 goals were recorded for the Blancos in 438 games, with many more domestic, continental and individual prizes coming his way.

Juve lured Ronaldo to Italy in 2018 and have seen him become the fastest man to reach 100 goals for the club, but European glory has proved elusive and sparked talk of another transfer being made.

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