TURIN, Italy (Reuters) -Cristiano Ronaldo has no intention of staying at Juventus, the club’s coach Massimiliano Allegri said on Friday, amid media speculation that Manchester City could be his next destination.
Widespread reports in the Italian and English press say Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has been finalising a transfer for the Portugal forward to English champions City, with several reporting that personal terms have already been agreed.
Allegri told a news conference ahead of his side’s Serie A clash at home to Empoli this weekend that 36-year-old Ronaldo informed him on Thursday of his wish to leave Turin.
“Yesterday Cristiano told me that he no longer plans to play for Juventus,” Allegri said. “This is why he will not be called up tomorrow. He did not train yesterday. He told his team mates this morning. I am not surprised at anything, in football there is the market and there are the needs of individuals.
“He made his choice. Life goes on.
“Omar Sivori, Michel Platini, Alessandro Del Piero, Zinedine Zidane, Gianluigi Buffon, some great champions and even better managers (have left). It’s one of the laws of life. But Juventus will always be here.
“Cristiano did a lot for this club, he’s a great champion, I wish him all the luck in the world wherever he will play. He gave a great contribution. For the season that I trained him he led by example for the lads, so he is only to be thanked for what he did for Juventus.”
JUVE TROPHIES
Ronaldo, who was signed by Juventus in 2018 for 100 million euros https://www.reuters.com/article/us-soccer-italy-juv-idUSKBN1K029Y from Real Madrid in the hope of leading them to an elusive Champions League title, will leave the Italian club with 101 goals, two league titles and a Coppa Italia trophy to his name.
Ronaldo spent six seasons with Manchester United from 2003-2009 where he won eight major trophies plus the Ballon d’Or as the world’s best player in 2008 before sealing a then world record 80 million pounds move to Real Madrid.
The Portugal forward is Real’s all-time top scorer with 451 goals in all competitions and won four Champions League trophies and two LaLiga titles with the Spanish club.
During the European Championship in June Ronaldo joined Iran’s Ali Daei as the all-time top scorer in international soccer https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/ronaldo-becomes-joint-all-time-international-top-scorer-2021-06-23 by reaching 109 goals and he could make the record his own during the World Cup qualifiers in September.
Ronaldo would join a City team stacked with talent but lacking a consistent marksman after the club’s all-time top scorer Sergio Aguero left at the end of the 2020-21 season to join Barcelona.
English champions City this week failed in their bid to sign Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur, with the England captain stating he was staying at the north London club https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/kane-says-he-will-stay-tottenham-hotspur-2021-08-25.
At United, Ronaldo scored 118 goals and won the Premier League Golden Boot in the 2007-08 season, the year he helped the Old Trafford club claim their last Champions League title.
(Reporting by Peter Hall; editing by Philippa Fletcher and Ken Ferris)
