Ever since Real Madrid came calling last season, the Portuguese forward's future has rarely been an issue that could be described as settled or stable.
But regardless of the 24-year-old's intentions, Manchester United have no desire to lose their prized asset, a player who scored 42 goals last season and who fell narrowly short of 30 in this campaign.
With Florentino Perez close to regaining the presidency at the Bernabeu, Ronaldo's escape route appears to be closing. Perez, and his likely sporting director Zinedine Zidane, want Kaka and Franck Ribery ahead of Ronaldo.
Three into two doesn't go and Ronaldo is likely to be the odd one out. He might have to stay at United, whether he likes it or not.
Ronaldo's open show of dissent against Sir Alex Ferguson when substituted during the Manchester derby earlier this month, followed by his apparent criticism of the manager's game-plan against Barcelona, could prompt Ferguson to wash his hands of Ronaldo.
Only the complete breakdown of Ferguson's relationship with Ronaldo would push the United manager to part with the player, despite his visible frustration with Ronaldo in Rome.
More than once, Ronaldo ignored Wayne Rooney and attempted to pierce the Barcelona rearguard alone.
The failure of the pair to link successfully resulted in one of Rooney's most unimpressive displays in a United shirt, but Ferguson is convinced that the left-sided role that Rooney has taken in recent months is the best position for the England forward's talents to have maximum impact.
Ronaldo, despite a high maintenance nature, remains a key cog in Ferguson's team and the player himself has paid tribute to the Scot's paternal treatment of him during his six years at Old Trafford.
The respect is clearly there, but Ferguson has never tolerated players becoming a problem in the dressing room. David Beckham, Roy Keane, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Paul Ince have all been dispatched by the United manager in the past after pushing his patience too far.
Ronaldo could be described as a unique case simply because of his undoubted talent and ability to turn United into winners. He failed to do that in Rome, however, and if that was because he was lulled into the pre-match hype of the game being a battle between himself and Lionel Messi, then it will be a cause of concern for Ferguson.
If he is beginning to take his eye off the ball for the sake of his own personal ambition, Ronaldo will pay a price. But if Madrid are no longer interested, he will pay that price at Old Trafford because it is unlikely that any other club will have the money to take him away.
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