Jorge Mendes' Claims on Real Madrid Star Cristiano Ronaldo Ring Hollow

Jorge Mendes and Cristiano Ronaldo: The super agent and the superstar, a pair dominating football in two very distinct, but equally influential, ways.

While the Real Madrid phenomenon continues to score at a staggering pace—17 goals in all competitions already this season—his representative and advisor continues to be the most powerful behind-the-scenes figure in the game, facilitating moves for Europe's elite and racking up the figures attached to his name just as rapidly. 

Mendes is clearly a master of his craft. In the transfer window just gone, the Portuguese oversaw the moves of Angel Di Maria, Diego Costa, James Rodriguez and Eliaquim Mangala—deals totalling £208.5 million alone, per Nick Harris of the Daily Mail. Negotiating a long-term and lucrative stay for Radamel Falcao, another of his clients, at Manchester United could soon follow.

In all, it's calculated that Mendes has been directly involved in transfers amounting to more than £1 billion in what David Conn of The Guardian describes as a "20-year ascent from Porto nightclub owner and friend of footballers to the beaming broker of the game's most lucrative transfers."

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And yet, though he's regularly seen smiling widely at the official unveilings of his clients at their new clubs, Mendes has typically been a voiceless figure, manipulating the sport through his relationship with its biggest attractions rather than exerting his power through words. 

It's for that reason why the 48-year-old's claims regarding the future of his most notable client, Ronaldo, drew considerable attention on Wednesday, following months of speculation surrounding the Ballon d'Or winner. 

"Cristiano is very happy at Real Madrid and has always been very happy," Mendes told Spanish radio station Cadena COPE, per The Guardian, shrugging aside the notion of Ronaldo returning to Manchester United. 

"He's going to break all the records with Real Madrid and he's going to retire here," he added. "He has a lot of love for United because his heart was there for six years, but now he's only thinking about Real Madrid and he's going to stay here forever. He's incredibly happy."

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While the possibility of Ronaldo returning to his former love has been floated endlessly of late, the pervading view has been that the world's dominant player wouldn't consider such a move in the immediate future. In his prime years, Ronaldo is staying in Madrid. 

But Mendes, a man who's earned his fortune by brokering football's biggest transfers, hardly seems like the guy to turn to when looking for an indication of what lies ahead for his star client. 

As recently as last month, the Real Madrid forward made clear his desire to return to the north-west of England in an exclusive interview with Riath Al-Samarrai of the Daily Mail. 

"I love Manchester," Ronaldo declared openly, just as he has done on previous occasions. "Everyone knows that—I have said it many times. Manchester is in my heart. I left many good friends there, the supporters are amazing and I wish I can come back one day."

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Ronaldo did concede that any return, were it to happen, hasn't yet entered the horizon, but he stopped well short of ruling it out completely as Mendes has done this week.

"I am happy here in Real Madrid and have four more years, but in the future you never know because they treated me unbelievably there," the 29-year-old said of his old club. 

It must be remembered that the two men have very different jobs, partly explaining the discrepancy in their statements. While Ronaldo's task is to star on the pitch, Mendes' responsibility is to grab the best deal for his clients—and, by extension, himself—by seizing on the competitive demand for them.  

Thus, when Mendes states bluntly that "it's impossible to take Cristiano from Real Madrid," and that "it's not worth it to even call and ask about him," it's hard not to feel that you're listening to comments aimed at opposing clubs, made to increase the sense of difficulty involved in prising the player away from Real Madrid and heightening the perceived figure that would be required to do so. 

After all, playing the market is at the core of maximising one's take in any negotiation. In the domain of sales—and that's what football transfers are, sales—the illusion is more important than the product; manufacturing the buyer's desire and capitalising upon it is how deals are struck. 

Ronaldo's future, as his agent insisted, may indeed be in Madrid. It may, distantly, be in Manchester, we don't know. But Mendes' significant financial interest in the Real Madrid star's situation makes his words ring rather hollow.