Cristiano Ronaldo reportedly snubbed Manchester United before completing his move to Juventus from Real Madrid earlier this week
According to a report by Italian outlet Calciomercato, Manchester United were a non-factor for Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of his summer move to Juventus. The former Real Madrid superstar wanted to become an “idol” in Italy, a status he believes he already has at Manchester United and England.
Ronaldo enjoyed nine highly illustrious campaigns at Real Madrid, winning 15 titles while also scoring 450 goals for the club during the period. He was also awarded the prestigious Ballon d’Or five times, which is the joint-most in the history of the game.
Having left a legacy unlike any other at Real Madrid, Ronaldo joined Juventus this week with the aim of embarking on a new challenge in the final years of his career. But, the report suggests that the 33-year-old snubbed former club Manchester United before completing his move to Turin.
Indeed, there had been a lot of speculation linking Ronaldo to Manchester United, even as the links with Juventus continued gather steam. As it has now emerged, the Portuguese superstar did snub his former employers to join the Bianconeri this summer.
The report suggests that Ronaldo felt that he had achieved everything at Manchester United, where he is already established as an idol. Instead of going back to Old Trafford, he was eager to receive adulation at new surroundings.
“Ronaldo wants to become an idol in Italy and wants to be at the centre of attention; becoming the living, breathing brand of a football club. Juventus were the ideal candidates.”
At Juventus, Ronaldo is set to spearhead an already-strong attacking unit, wherein he is likely to displace Gonzalo Higuain, who is being linked with a move to Chelsea. As per widespread reports, the Bianconeri have shelled out €100 million to beat Manchester United to the signature the 33-year-old.
Meanwhile, there have also been suggestions that Manchester United had only been keeping a close eye on the situation, and had not registered their interest in Ronaldo. Whatever the reasons may be, Italy and Juventus are soon going to welcome their new superstar, who will be earning €31 million per year – another motivation as per the report.
A new challenge beckons Cristiano Ronaldo, and it will be interesting to see if he can guide Juventus to unprecedented success in the coming seasons, just as he did with Real Madrid and Manchester United.
