RON IS A REAL PUZZLE

I KNOW Manchester United fans are not queueing to take my advice, but I’d still tell them to try not to get too excited about Cristiano Ronaldo coming “home”.

His “very close friend” saying he wants to quit Real Madrid is either a very cynical move – or a supreme hissy fit. Either way, I can’t see it leading to Old Trafford.

United have been there before, they thought Ronaldo (below) was leaving the Bernabeu a few years ago but it came to nothing, and the word within the game was that he used them to get a better contract. He could be doing that again, or simply trying to creatively keep his tax bill from rising. In which case, United surely won’t go near.

If it’s a hissy fit because of the inquiry into his tax affairs, then he’ll probably calm down... or move to PSG.

Not that I’d be opposed to him coming back. His level is quite incredible given his age. There really don’t seem to be any signs of him slowing down, or if there are, then he’s adapting brilliantly.

His finishing would be superb to see in the Premier League, but I’m not sure his plan to remain a sporting icon after he finishes playing – like Michael Jordan and Beckham – needs England.

I JUST don’t see Antonio Conte walking out on Chelsea. For me, his “threat” is a classic manager’s tactic.

He knows his squad needs strengthening and he knows he will never be in a stronger position to push for it after winning the title so emphatically.

He will also know that when Jose Mourinho won the title at Stamford Bridge in 2015, they didn’t strengthen – and that cost him his job. Conte won’t want the same.

So a bit of canny politics to get some real money to spend – and, more importantly, the players he actually wants – is precisely that, a tactic from a position of strength.