Sporting director Hugo Viana may be ready to accept the notion of Cristiano Ronaldo not arriving in the short term, but he has not completely closed the door on the player's return to the Jose Alvalade stadium.
There are constant rumors about Ronaldo transfers and that will not change this summer.
The 37-year-old scored 24 goals last season with the "Red Devils", but things now look unclear as to his future under new coach Erik ten Hag.
Jorge Mendes has reportedly moved in the shadows in preparation for a possible exit from Old Trafford, and has recently linked Ronaldo to Bayern and Chelsea.
A third option has also appeared on the horizon, an emotional but unlikely return to Sporting.
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However, Viana said, "I don't think that would be possible, not now, but you never know... he has another year on his contract and we'll see what he decides."
Ronaldo made his debut for Sporting Lisbon on 14 August 2002 under the leadership of Laszlo Bologne in the UEFA Champions League qualifier against Inter at the age of 17 years, 6 months and 9 days.
With "The Lions", he barely had time to play 31 games, as he scored 5 goals and provided 6 assists before Sir Alex Ferguson joined him to Manchester United in the summer of 2003 for 19 million euros.
Sporting Lisbon has already qualified for the Champions League next season, after being second in the league, which is a "temptation" that may seem exciting for Ronaldo, the tournament's top scorer throughout its history.
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Ronaldo appeared on the football scene through Sporting, a history that means a lot to the Portuguese star who used to crown the most important football tournaments.
"He should come back," his mother, Dolores, said last year. "I already told him son, before I die I want to see you come back to Sporting," she said.
According to her comment, Ronaldo said, "Let's see."
And if the dream deal happens, Ronaldo will not be the first player to return to Sporting in recent years, and it appears to be a strategy that the Portuguese club is pursuing.
"Yes, without a doubt, I would like Ronaldo to finish his career here, at his home," said Sporting president Bruno de Carvalho.
He stressed that "he represents a lot to us and it would be nice to end his career here. He is a world ambassador. He always talks about us well and how much he loves us."
He concluded, "We are making a great effort to get some players back to the club. We have already done that with Nani (who spent the 2014-2015 season on loan at Sporting), and we will see that many times."