Cristiano Ronaldo’s camp have held preliminary talks with Sporting Lisbon about a potential return to the club where it all began over the coming weeks, according to reports. Ronaldo is said to be desperate to leave Manchester United before the new season gets underway in order to join a Champions League side and reportedly underlined his stance during showdown talks with Erik ten Hag earlier this week.

The 37-year-old has been linked with a number of top European clubs over the last few weeks, including the likes of Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and even Barcelona. However, it seems as though a move back to Sporting could be a genuine option for Ronaldo to consider if he wishes to return to his old stomping ground this summer.

The Athletic are reporting that discussions have already been held between Sporting and Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, who has been actively trying to find a new team for his client since the end of last season. There are a number of concerns about the feasibility of such a move, though, which suggests that it could be a tricky one to engineer before the summer window closes in early September.

Ronaldo is currently earning around £500,000 per week at United and it would be difficult for Sporting to match this figure as things stand. Finding the funds to bankroll a serious offer for the Portuguese forward would be a complex operation, with Ronaldo only likely to join their ranks if the money on the table meets his expectations.

Sporting boss Ruben Amorim is also said to have concerns over whether Ronaldo would be a good fit for his side if the move comes to fruition in the not-too-distant future. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner’s arrival would inevitably spark a major change in dynamic within the squad, who are currently gearing up to battle Porto for the Primeira Liga title when the on-pitch action gets back underway.

It remains to be seen whether Sporting will eventually be able to snap up Ronaldo, who remains tied down to United until next summer following his move from Juventus only a year ago. Sporting director of football Hugo Viana has already suggested that the Red Devils ace could return to the club before the end of his career but stressed that it would be unlikely to happen in advance of the upcoming season.

“Not now, I don’t think that will be possible,” said Viana when quizzed on whether Sporting could approach Ronaldo this summer. “But we never know, he can decide where he can go, but you never know the future.

“I don’t want to talk a lot about that because when we speak about Cristiano it is quite different. I think he has one more year on his contract, so whatever he decides, let’s see.”

• A Tell report