Cristiano Ronaldo has, along with Lionel Messi, been the dominant footballer in the world for the best part of a decade and it was his switch from Manchester United to Real Madrid that sparked him into life as a goalscorer.

Eight seasons later and the 32-year-old has the ridiculous record of 406 goals from 394 appearances in all competitions for Los Blancos and it seemed as though he would play out his career at the Bernabeu.

However, the recent tax fraud allegations have clearly unsettled the Portugal international and led to claims that he is looking to leave Spain this summer and the odds of Ronaldo leaving Madrid have shortened.

But is it really possible that the La Liga giants would let him go, and which clubs could afford what, even for a player the wrong side of 30, would be an astronomical transfer fee?

United have of course been linked with their former player while Paris Saint Germain are possibly the only other European club with the financial muscle to facilitate a deal, but Real president Florentino Perez has already poured cold water on any suggestions that the forward will be on his way out before the start of next season.

With Ronaldo enjoying superstar status in Madrid after a career that, Messi aside, is peerless in the modern game, the fact that his name is now being dragged through the mud has clearly made him angry.

Perez has stated that he will "sort out" the problem once the prolific marksman returns from the Confederations Cup.

The hope will be that his desire to quit the capital was just a knee-jerk reaction, but there have been rumours that he has been seeking a new challenge for some time.

China has been mentioned as one possible destination, with a few clubs seemingly having a bottomless pit of money to lure players to the Far East, but it would be a huge step down for the former Sporting ace who is hardly short of money and still craves the challenge of playing at the highest level.

He has broken many records while at Real and appears just as hungry for success as when he arrived in 2009 and Real need him if they are to keep their noses in front of fierce rivals Barcelona.

A league and Champions League double would not have been achieved without their talisman and it is obvious that he is vital to the cause.

With that in mind, it seems likely that Real will fight tooth and nail to keep him on board and Perez has some serious work to do before a ball is kicked in pre-season later this summer.

All is not well in the Ronaldo camp and there is clearly a long way to go before the issue is put to bed and much will depend on whether the fraud allegations actually come to anything.

He is unhappy at present which can lead to rash decisions being made and it is inevitable that the press will try to twist every comment he utters to sensationalise the story.

There is a possibility that the Madeira-born ace will leave but surely at a time when his temperament will be tested to its limit, stability is what is needed and it would be prudent to be at a club where he is universally worshipped.