And here come the rumors.

Metro has reported that Real Madrid is now willing to sell superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and that Manchester United might be looking to bring back the historic player to end his career at the Old Trafford.

The Manchester United angle has been repeated over the last few years every single time there has been an issue between the player and his current side. Now it seems that Ronaldo’s recent streak of poor form has been enough of a reason to merit his being shipped away from Spain’s capital.

But is it really that horrid of an idea?

At age 30, durability is a very real concern. That number represents the other side of the hill. The decline. The loss of a player’s powers. And in the case of Ronaldo, likely the end of his status as the world’s best player.

On current form, you could not even pencil him on the Top 10 list and the real question is whether he ever returns there.

Ronaldo was on fire earlier this year. Not just playing well and scoring goals. He was scoring at a historic rate that at one point had him scoring 20 goals in 12 games. He looked like he could blow away Messi’s historic 74-goal season in 2011- 12. Now it looks like Messi is more likely to blow that total out of the water. Ronaldo is now trailing his rival in goals scored in all competitions and before long he might be looking at chasing a double-digit goal lead.

But here is something that everyone must remember: Ronaldo is not going to score at a 0.5 goals per game rate for the balance of the 2014-15 season. He has 16 games left to make an impression, but there is no way he finishes the season scoring just eight more goals. His career rate is 0.63 and his rate since joining Real Madrid is a tremendous 1.10 goals per game; Messi’s all-time goals per game for Barcelona is 0.85, but he has almost 300 more games for Blaugrana than Ronaldo does for Los Blancos. But the point is this. Ronaldo is a goal per game type player and he is also a relentless hard worker who will not give up and settle for his current slump. He will score more goals. Will he score 20 in the next 12? Who knows? It happened not too long ago and could easily happen yet again. But even if it doesn’t, there is no reason not to think that Ronaldo could put another 16 goals for the remainder of the year.

But what about next year? That is really the question at hand. Is Ronaldo still an elite player at age 31? Or do we see the inevitable decline take shape? This is the big question for Madrid. If the team thinks that Ronaldo’s dip is a portend of things to come, then it might be the best moment to jump that ship and let others ride in it. Ronaldo could bring in a hefty sum that the team could use to reinforce itself. It already has a franchise quality player in Gareth Bale that could fill those shoes and who knows what comes in the transfer market?

The reality of the situation is that Ronaldo is no longer the player he once was. He is not quick dribbler down the wing anymore. He can still score, but part of his slackened pace is due to the fact that in some ways he is easier to defend. Defending players know that he is likely to be parked in the penalty area poaching. That is far easier to defend than a player cruising down the left lane full speed with several bags of tricks up his sleeves. Ronaldo’s dribbles per game this year is down from his career average and other historic numbers. His 1.5 dribbles per game is actually the lowest in any league season for Real Madrid.

Shots per game are also down from career average and historical numbers. Ronaldo has averaged 6.9 shots per game over the course of his career; his 5.8 per game this season in Spain is the lowest it has ever been in the Spanish League. It speaks to his passing the ball up more, but it might also indicate lessened space for the superstar in his new style of play. Ronaldo averaged 6.9 shots on goal per game in 2012-13, but still managed 10 assists that year. He also scored 34 goals.

That said, he is developing into more of a playmaker, but that is not something to be banked on as recent weeks have shown. He is taking riskier passes and making more creative plays, but it does not lead to automatic goals. That said, his assists this season are among the finest total so of his career, so there is a chance that Ronaldo could be finding a new wait to exploit his talents.

It will be interesting to see what player Ronaldo transforms into when his current physical issues and form subside. In the past, he turned injury concerns into some of his finest play. But if he does not pull that rabbit out this time around, it might be time for Madrid move on and look for another magician to lead the team.