Cristiano Ronaldo continues to generate exit talk at Juventus, but Portugal international team-mate Bruno Alves believes the five-time Ballon d'Or winner will stick around in Turin for "one last assault on the Champions League".
European glory has eluded an all-time great during his time in Italian football, with the Serie A title also slipping out of reach for the Bianconeri last season.
Ronaldo was tipped by many to depart this summer after failing to hit ultimate targets alongside another century of goals in his stunning career, but the 36-year-old remains part of Massimiliano Allegri's plans for now and is being tipped to stay put.
What has been said?
Veteran defender Alves, who has taken in many outings for his country alongside a fellow Euro 2016 winner, told Tuttosport on Ronaldo's future: "I haven’t talked about these things with him.
"My feeling is that in the end he will stay at Juve because he still has something to do: how to win the Scudetto back and try one last assault on the Champions League.
"Cristiano always wants to prove himself, he is a born winner."
Will Ronaldo remain at Juventus?
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Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has ruled out a return to Spain for the Portuguese icon, while the man himself has hit out on social media at the speculation he is generating.
Alves added on that outburst: "There are always great rumours around him and they are often without foundation. He simply asked for some respect."
Ronaldo has entered the final year of his contract at Juve and has no fresh terms on the table.
It could be that he walks away as a free agent in the summer of 2022, allowing him to follow the lead of eternal rival Lionel Messi by taking on another new challenge.
Can Ronaldo deliver in 2021-22?
If he is to stick around in Turin, then Juve will continue to look to Ronaldo for moments of magic and match-winning inspiration.
Alves expects the proven winner to deliver on expectation, with there every reason to believe that a man who has broken the 30-goal barrier in 11 of the last 12 seasons will maintain remarkable standards.
Asked about what we can expect from Ronaldo in 2021-22, Alves said: "What we all know: a phenomenon with a guarantee of 30-40 goals, even at 36 years of age.
"Cris is a champion, a winner and always does extraordinary things, but he needs the team to support him. One cannot think that he alone is enough."