According to claims made by Record via Sport Witness, Manchester United have already made a formal offer to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back to Old Trafford.
It’s claimed Juventus are willing to part with the legendary forward at the end of this season should they fail to win the Champions League, in a bid to decrease the club’s wage bill.
Of course, Ronaldo’s quality as one of the greatest footballers of all time is well-established. He’s won five Ballon d’Or honours, five Champions Leagues, a European Championship with Portugal and countless domestic trophies as well.
While he’s now 35 years old, his goalscoring powers are far from relenting. Last season he netted 37 times in all competitions, while he’s started the new season in the Italian top flight with six goals in just three starts.
With Anthony Martial yet to score in the Premier League this season, United could certainly do with another option to lead the line, and Ronaldo would also bring that winning mentality the club have desperately lacked throughout the post-Ferguson era.
But they say you should never go back in football - so, are United wise to be pursuing a player that left the club over a decade ago?
GIVEMESPORT writers Christy Malyan, Jack Saville and Matt Dawson attempt to answer one simple question: should United re-sign CR7?
Jack Saville
"As the game has evolved so too have common preconceptions. Players over the age of 32 used to be perceived as past their sell by date and rarely worth pursuing in the transfer market, but the rising importance of athleticism in the game, which Cristiano Ronaldo has championed throughout his career, has shifted the paradigm.
"At the age of 39, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has risen to the top of the Serie A goal scoring charts following his return to AC Milan. If Man United needed any further justification to move for Ronaldo then the Swede has certainly provided it.
"Psychologically it would be a game changer for the club, while on the pitch Ronaldo's domineering aerial ability could help him to become Bruno Fernandes' partner in crime. No doubt this deal would come at an astronomical cost, but it's a gamble worth taking for the Red Devils."
Matt Dawson
"I'd love to get all romantic and nostalgic on this one but it's hard to suggest this is the right move for Ed Woodward to make. Of course, Ronaldo is one of, if not the greatest players of all time but United need to move out of the shadows of Sir Alex Ferguson's reign, not back into it.
"Sorry to be a party pooper, but the Red Devils now have an incredibly talented forward line consisting of some of the best young talents in the Premier League. Mason Greenwood, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes have progressed nicely as a combination under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and signing Ronaldo would disturb that.
"He'd be a great signing but at what cost? Given his age of 35, it's unlikely he'd stick around for too long. They already have an ageing forward in Edinson Cavani to cram into the XI so why sign someone of a similar age, likely on astronomical wages? It seems like a poor business venture to me."
Christy Malyan
"Is there a club more stuck in the past than Manchester United? Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wouldn't even be in charge if he hadn't scored a famous last-minute goal over twenty years ago, and now they want to re-sign a forward who last kicked a ball for them in 2009. 2009 - just let that sink in for a minute.
"Yes, of course, Ronaldo is one of the greatest, but at 35 it just feels like another desperate punt to reignite the glory years at Old Trafford by bringing in someone who was there at the time.
"On top of this, what problem in the starting XI does Ronaldo really solve? Cavani is a striker. Rashford is a striker who plays on the wing. Greenwood is a striker who plays on the wing. Martial is a winger who plays up front.
"Being positionally ambiguous himself, Ronaldo would only exacerbate the confusion over who should be playing where, not make things simpler.
"Without even considering how much the deal would cost in fees and wages, this one gets a hard no from me."