Cristiano Ronaldo Reportedly Wants Real Madrid Stay, Could Change After Court

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly advised the club he is keen to stay, although he could change his mind depending on the outcome of an upcoming court hearing. 

According to Manu Sainz of AS, having advised Los Blancos he wanted out, Ronaldo has changed his mind and "the message he has now conveyed to the club has brought renewed calm at the Bernabeu."

However, it's suggested the saga may not be at an end yet. "The reason that nobody is willing to flat out guarantee that [Ronaldo] will stay is that everything could shift on July 31, when the Portugal captain is due to testify at a Madrid court in relation to four counts of alleged tax evasion," it's added.

As noted in the piece, A Bola reported that Ronaldo, having been accused of defrauding the Spanish authorities out of €14.7 million (£13 million), was ready to embark on a new challenge away from La Liga.

In the piece it's noted that Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has been in touch with Ronaldo during the Confederations Cup in Russia, and the striker is anticipated to rejoin the squad on August 3 after their United States pre-season tour.

Losing their No. 7 would be an enormous blow for Real Madrid, as Ronaldo remains the premier goalscorer in European football, as these figures from Squawka Football indicate:

Not only has the 32-year-old cemented his status as the finest footballer in the world in the eyes of Madridistas, his recent exploits arguably make him the best player in Real Madrid's illustrious history.

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Ronaldo has been crucial to Real winning the UEFA Champions League in three of the last four seasons, not to mention an overdue La Liga title in the campaign just gone. Crucially, the Portuguese has stood up in many big matches for the team, most recently netting a brace against Juventus in the Champions League final.

Losing that type of presence, leadership and ruthlessness at the point of the attack would be a massive blow for Madrid. Football journalist Keith Costigan doesn't see the Portuguese going anywhere:

After all, even if Ronaldo did want out, the striker would command an astonishing transfer fee and wage demands. Given his age, there aren't many teams—if any—who would be capable of parting with that type of money.

Even so, any speculation about a star player wanting out will unsettle even the most level-headed of supporters. So Madridistas everywhere will be keeping a close on developments on July 31.