In a major development, Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo is said to be looking to leave Italian giants Juventus in the ongoing transfer window.
Less than a month after Lionel Messi made a shock switch to Paris Saint-Germain from FC Barcelona, his arch-rival and fellow superstar Cristiano Ronaldo could also be on the move. According to reputed journalist and transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the 36-year-old Portuguese international has decided to leave Juventus and is looking for solutions before the transfer window closes.
One of the best players to have played the game, Ronaldo achieved legendary status at two of the biggest clubs in the world – Manchester United and Real Madrid, before he joined Juventus in the summer of 2018 in a move that sent shockwaves at the time. While his time in Turin has not been as successful as in Madrid, he still has won several titles and trophies, while continuing to score goals for fun.
Ronaldo, to date, has featured 134 times for the Bianconeri, plundering 101 goals and setting up 22 more. However, his time in Turin may be coming to an end if an update from Romano is to be believed. As per the Italian, the 36-year-old asked to be left out on the bench for Juventus’s game against Udinese as he looks for a solution in the coming days.
This, if true, will come as a huge blow for Juventus. Despite his age, Ronaldo remains a top player and has been Juventus’s best player since joining the club. Losing him, this close to the transfer deadline day, could hurt their chances as they look to return to the top of the Serie A standings after having been beaten to the title last time out.
Cristiano Ronaldo will be on the bench for Udinese-Juventus. Official. ??? #Ronaldo
He’s NOT starting – it was a precise request from Cristiano because he hopes to find a solution on the market in the next days.
But Juventus have received NO official bids yet for Cristiano. pic.twitter.com/sQ0z3rO1Bk
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 22, 2021
Romano, however, does specify that Juventus are yet to receive any offer for the Portuguese maverick. Nonetheless, if he becomes available, there is unlikely to be a shortage of suitors.
A return to Old Trafford to reunite with Manchester United has always been spoken of ever since he left the club back in 2009. A move back to Real Madrid was also mooted this summer, although, manager Carlo Ancelotti was quick to dismiss those speculations.
While Ronaldo did not start in the game against Udinese, he did come on as a substitute in the second half and almost won it for Juventus, when he found the back of the net in stoppage time with the scoreline at 2-2. However, the goal was chalked off by VAR, meaning the celebrations were short-lived, and Juve had to settle for just the one point.
Juventus director Pavel Nedved insisted that there were no plans for the club to sell Ronaldo. “We’ve decided together with Ronaldo. It’s normal. Ronaldo will 100% STAY,” he told DAZN (h/t Romano). Manager Massimiliano Allegri also said that it was a pure footballing decision to bench the 36-year-old and nothing more than that. It, however, remains to be seen if that is indeed the case.
