Despite a Round of 16 exit from the FIFA World Cup 2018, Cristiano Ronaldo continues to remain in the news with reports of his impending move to Juventus.
Reports in local media, including Spanish daily Marca and the Italian paper Il Giornale, have virtually confirmed the move will take place. New developments include a time frame for the official move announcement and also a final set of requirements for Ronaldo to fulfill before the big move.
Although terms have reportedly been agreed in principle, Jorge Mendes, Ronaldo’s agent, will meet Real Madrid President Florentino Perez on Tuesday, 10 July to officially finalise the deal in writing.
The exit seems imminent and is expected to be announced in the next 24-48 hours, according to Sky Sports. However, Madrid do want Ronaldo to explain his reasons for moving on.
Meanwhile, in Turin, the home of Juventus, fans already seem to be welcoming the Portugese player and shirts bearing Ronaldo’s name in Juventus colours have already started selling.
Madrid fans seem to be taking the uncertainty hard, with CR7 shirt sales reportedly seeing a steep fall.
Meanwhile, Juventus icon Gianluigi Buffon, as well as World Cup winning coach Marcelo Lippi have stated their delight at the superstar joining Juventus, saying it will greatly boost the profile of Italian football.
One thing that could be delaying the official announcement is a lack of replacement at Real Madrid for the star striker.
Ronaldo has scored 450 goals since 2009 with Real Madrid, winning 2 La Liga titles, 2 Copas del Rey and 4 Champions League trophies. The former Manchester United player signed for a then-world record 94 million Euros.
Juventus’ offer to Madrid is for 100 million Euros – a club record transfer – and signs the player till 2022 at an annual salary of 30 million Euros. Juve has been a childhood favourite of Ronaldo’s, and the club just barely lost out on signing him in 2003 when he joined Manchester United.
All eyes will be now on the meeting between Mendes, the agent, and Florentino Perez. If agreed to, Ronaldo might be in Turin as early as Wednesday, 11 July, to sign his new papers and officially become a part of Juventus FC.
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