The footballing world was shocked on Friday morning when reports surfaced that Cristiano Ronaldo is ready to leave Real Madrid. 

In fact, the striker doesn't just want to leave Real, he wants to leave Spain altogether.

The reason being is because he's been accused of evading £13 million in tax payments by the city of Madrid's criminal prosecution system.   

The world famous footballer is alleged to have committed three separate crimes between 2011 and 2014, after reportedly hiding income generated by his image rights from the treasury. 

They are claims, of course, that Ronaldo completely denies, so much so that he's willing to leave everything behind and move out of the country. 

He's already reported to have informed Madrid that he wants to leave the Bernabeu, and it's suggested that the club have put a £350 million price tag on the 32-year-old. 

However, a move is far from certain, and Spanish papers are claiming manager Zinedine Zidane made a personal phone call to Ronaldo, begging the striker to stay. 

The Portuguese striker also has another powerful backer, in the form of the President of the Spanish Football League, who believes he is innocent. 

LFP chief, Javier Tebas has spoken out in defense of Ronaldo. He told La Sexta, as per Goal:

"Knowing the environment and the professional that it is, I have no doubt that Cristiano is innocent. We live in a time when any news related to the Spanish treasury is to point out criminals. From what I have read, I am convinced that there is no crime."

Although it may not be enough to convince the world's best player to stay in the league, having the backing from a figure like Tebas will be very important for him. 

The forward has always said he's keen on a return to Manchester United one day, so now would be the perfect opportunity for Jose Mourinho to make a bid, especially when Ronaldo is so unsettled.

Only time will tell if his threats are genuine, but it's sure to make this summer's transfer window a lot more interesting.