Transfer Rumour: Cristiano Ronaldo set to leave Real Madrid in the summer

Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly does not want to play in Spain anymore and is, thus, set to leave Real Madrid in the summer.

According to a report in Sky Sports, Cristiano Ronaldo is furious with the way that he has been treated by the tax authorities in Spain. The Portugal captain has, hence, told Real Madrid that he wants to move away from the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer transfer window.

Ronaldo moved to Real Madrid from Manchester United in the summer of 2009 for a then-world record transfer fee of £80 million, having spent six highly productive campaigns at Old Trafford. The switch to the Santiago Bernabeu has seen the player progress by leaps and bounds.

In fact, in the last eight seasons, Ronaldo has gone on to cement his place as one of the best players in the world, and one of the game’s all-time greats. During his time at Real Madrid, the 32-year-old has been one of the most prolific players in the world.

His record speaks for itself, as Ronaldo has found the back of the net a staggering 406 goals for Los Blancos in just 394 games – scoring more than a goal per game. Additionally, he has also provided 125 assists, making it a direct contribution to a goal 64 minutes.

On top of that Ronaldo has been the top scorer in the Champions League for the last five seasons, and he has also laid his hands on every trophy there is to win in club competitions. Suffice to say, his time at Real Madrid has been nothing short of spectacular.

However, things suddenly seem to have gone pear shaped for the Portuguese forward, as widespread reports claim that he wants to leave Real Madrid in the summer transfer window. This is in contrast with Ronaldo’s statements on several occasions in the past, when he emphasised that he wants to retire at the club.

A further exploration into the reports, though, suggests that Ronaldo has been left furious by the way he has been treated by the Spanish tax authorities. Prosecutors in Spain have, this week, alleged that the player has avoided £14.7 million in tax.

As a result, the Portugal captain is facing allegations from Madrid’s regional state prosecutor of four counts of tax fraud related to image rights  earned between 2011 and 2014, saying he used a shell company in the Virgin Islands to hide a portion of his income from tax authorities.

Ronaldo, though, has publicly maintained that he has a clear conscience, while also privately confessing amid this saga that he wants to leave Spain. A move away from Real Madrid could, thus, be on the cards for the veteran forward.

If he indeed takes the decision to leave Real Madrid in the summer transfer window, it will be interesting to see where his next destination lies. The likes of Juventus and Barcelona have previously missed out on signing Ronaldo, but while Barcelona stand no chance of poaching him, Juventus lack the financial clout to secure his services.

Meanwhile, former club Manchester United have been repeatedly linked with him in the past as well, while there is interest from China too. Ronaldo, though, recently penned a new six-year deal with Real Madrid and he will definitely command a world record fee, should he move and it remains to be seen if a summer exit indeed happens.