'He's always left the door open': Portugal team-mate Jose Fonte insists he 'wouldn't be surprised' if Cristiano Ronaldo decided to make a sensational return to Real Madrid

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It would not be a huge surprise if Cristiano Ronaldo made a sensational return to Real Madrid, says Jose Fonte, who insists the Juventus star has 'always left the door open' for his former club.

Ronaldo brought the curtain down on nine trophy-laden years at the Bernabeu in 2018 before making a £100million move to Turin.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner took on a new challenge in Italy, having dominated in England with Manchester United before going on to break countless records in Spain for Real.

Cristiano Ronaldo has 'left the door open' for a Real Madrid return, according to Jose Fonte

Fonte (No 6) insists he 'wouldn't be surprised' if Ronaldo decided to return to the Bernabeu

And while he continues to keep scoring goals and winning titles at Juventus, his Portugal team-mate Fonte believes that a move back to the Spanish capital will always be on the cards. 

'I know he loves Madrid, that's for sure,' Fonte told talkSPORT.

'It's clear that he loves the club itself, it's one of the biggest clubs in the world, if not the biggest.

'He's left many, many friends there and he's always left the door open.

Ronaldo was hugely successful at Real Madrid, particularly in the Champions League

'So I wouldn't be surprised if he goes back to Real Madrid.'

Ronaldo has two years left on his current deal at Juve, taking him to the age of 37 by the time it expires in 2022.

However, recent reports have suggested that Ronaldo could move on sooner than that and Juventus could be willing to let him leave for as little as £50million.

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, cash-strapped Juve are reportedly weighing up selling their biggest star, given the size of his deal.

Ronaldo is the highest paid player in Serie A, with his contract earning him £27.5m-a-season, but the player himself has accepted a wage cut and will lose out on around £10m in the coming months.

Juventus are reportedly open to a £50million bid as they try and keep on top of their finances

Right now, even a wealthy club like Juventus cannot afford to settle debt with their players without renewing contracts and restructuring future payments. 

Last week, Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli was confident of agreeing terms on a new deal until 2024 with Ronaldo, cementing the forward's legendary status at the club.

He would propose spreading the cost of the £10m owed to Ronaldo over the next two seasons.

However, these recent reports would suggest that they are now open to him leaving, which could set up a sensational return to Real Madrid.