The Cristiano Ronaldo transfer saga is showing no signs of ending, with neither the player nor Manchester United seemingly prepared to budge at this moment in time.
Ronaldo reportedly made it clear to the Red Devils upon his return to Manchester this week that he is still intent on leaving the club before the end of the transfer window.
However, Man United are maintaining that the 37-year-old is not for sale, as his exit would leave Erik ten Hag's side seriously short of firepower heading into the 2022-23 campaign.
Something will have to give in the coming weeks, though, and with that in mind, Sports Mole looks at three clubs that could still sign the Portugal international before the end of the window.
Sporting Lisbon
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Sporting have allegedly entered into talks over a possible loan deal for Ronaldo, who famously started his professional career with the Portuguese giants.
Ronaldo scored five goals and registered six assists in 31 appearances for the Green and Whites before making the move to Old Trafford in 2003.
Sporting will be in the Champions League this season after finishing second in Portugal's top flight in 2021-22, but it remains to be seen whether they can afford to re-sign the forward.
Ronaldo's substantial wage packet makes a deal incredibly difficult, but it is understood that his agent Jorge Mendes has been in talks with Sporting to discuss the possibility of a move.
A one-year loan deal has allegedly been discussed, which would allow the forward to continue playing in the Champions League and have the chance to win another domestic title, but The Athletic claim that Sporting boss Ruben Amorim has concerns that the move could upset the balance of the club.
Napoli
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Napoli have also emerged as potential suitors for Ronaldo, with the club also able to offer Champions League football during the 2022-23 campaign.
The forward is said to be determined to cement his spot as the highest goalscorer in the history of the competition; he is currently 15 ahead of Lionel Messi with 140, but a season out of the competition could allow the Paris Saint-Germain attacker to close that gap.
Napoli finished third in Serie A last term, seven points behind the champions AC Milan, and the chance to sign Ronaldo this summer would surely appeal to the club.
Ronaldo won two Serie A titles and one Coppa Italia during his time in Italy with Juventus, scoring 101 goals in 134 appearances for the Old Lady.
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is said to boast a strong relationship with the Portuguese's agent, which could put the club at the head of the queue for his signature.
Atletico Madrid
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A move to Atletico is complicated for a number of reasons, and the club's supporters unveiled a banner during Wednesday's pre-season friendly with Numancia saying that they were firmly against a deal.
Atletico president Enrique Cerezo also recently ruled out a move for the Portuguese, claiming that it would be "practically impossible" to sign him.
However, the Red and Whites continue to be credited with an interest in the forward, and a move could take place if Antoine Griezmann leaves the club.
An exit for Alvaro Morata would also open up space in the squad for Ronaldo, who famously represented Atletico's bitter rivals Real Madrid between 2009 and 2018.
A section of the club's supporters have made it clear that they do not want the Portuguese, but he certainly has the potential to help them move closer to Real Madrid and Barcelona in the new season, and a switch to Wanda Metropolitano cannot be ruled out at this stage.
Matt Law
