Watch Cristiano Ronaldo leave Juventus training ground after ‘saying goodbye to team-mates’ ahead of Man Utd transfer
CRISTIANO RONALDO has LEFT the Juventus training centre and will not take part in the sessions ahead of a potential move to Manchester United.
The 36-year-old has said his goodbyes to his Juve team-mates as he looks set to leave the club after just three years, boss Massimiliano Allegri has confirmed.
According to Fabrizio Romano, the Portugal ace said goodbye to his team-mates and left the club’s training ground after just 40 minutes.
And Ronaldo is on his private jet ready to leave Turin, and his future will be decided alongside his agent Jorge Mendes in the next few hours.
The forward has just one year left on his £500,000-a-week contract and Juventus want to get it off the wage bill.
The Turin-based club also want to acquire a £21.4million fee for Ronaldo.
Boss Allegri has confirmed that he is not ‘disappointed’ in Ronaldo’s choice as ‘life goes on‘.
He said: “Yesterday Cristiano told me that he has no intention of continuing at Juventus.
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“This is why he will not be called up tomorrow, he did not train yesterday and now we can talk about Empoli. That is the most important thing.”
Allegri likened Ronaldo’s exit to the departures of club legends such as Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane.
He added: “I am absolutely not disappointed.
“[Ronaldo] has made his choice.
“These things pass; Sivori, Platini, Del Piero, Zidane, Buffon have all passed through Juve. Great champions, it is a law of life.
“Juventus remains the most important thing. It has been three years, he has given his contribution, now he leaves and life goes on, as is normal.”
According to the 54-year-old coach who brought Ronaldo to Turin, the Portuguese star insisted he would stay only days ago.
Allegri added: “On Saturday I told him that he would be on the bench at Udinese, he told me he would stay.
“Then there is the transfer market, the situation has changed and it must be accepted – at Juve the players who want to stay must remain.
Yesterday Cristiano told me that he has no intention of continuing at Juventus.
Massimiliano Allegri
“It’s simple: we have a good Champions League group to overcome and a lot of things to do with a team that only has to think about improving.
“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.”
The potential move has angered a lot of Manchester United fans who see it as a betrayal.
A move to rivals City could see his United legacy of three Premier League titles, an FA Cup and a Champions League tarnished.
And Ronaldo is going against his own words if he joins City, claiming back in 2009 that he would ‘never’ join them.
He said: “Never. City have a lot of good players and might be a problem for United, Arsenal and Chelsea.
“But that doesn’t interest me. I am only interested in playing for Real Madrid and teams like Barcelona and Valencia.”
And six years later, Ronnie doubled down on his stance when asked if a City switch would ever be an option if the right money was on the table.
He said: “You think the money is going to change my mind at 30-years-old?
“I don’t think so, I don’t think this going to be a problem.
“If you speak about the money I could go to Qatar, they would probably have more money than Man City.
“But it’s not about the money, it’s about the passion.”
Rival bosses Pep Guardiola of City and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have weighed in on Ronaldo’s future.
And it appears the door is open for a return to Man Utd with Solskjaer saying ‘lets see what happens’.
Romano claims the United board have been in direct contact with Ronaldo’s agent Mendes, they’re talking figures of the deal and they’re seriously interest.
We’ve always had a good communication. Bruno has been talking to him. He knows what we feel about him.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
The United boss responded to The Athletic journalist Laurie Whitwell‘s question on whether the club will try and sign Ronaldo saying: “Cristiano is a legend of this club, the the greatest player of all time if you ask me.
“I was fortunate enough to play with him. I coached him when I got my job. Let’s see what happens.
“We’ve always had a good communication. Bruno has been talking to him. He knows what we feel about him.
“If he was ever going to move away from Juventus, he knows we’re here. Everyone who has played with him has a soft spot for him.”
He said: “Cristiano will decide where he wants to play, not Manchester City.”
And for what its worth, West Ham boss David Moyes has thrown his club into the ring of clubs open to signing the forward.
Moyes jokingly said: “If he fancies a year or so in London, he can give me a ring.”
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