Cristiano Ronaldo's move to Juventus appeared to edge closer on Tuesday, amid reports the Real Madrid star was scheduled to meet the president of the Serie A giants.
According to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus president Andrea Agnelli has flown to Greece to meet the Portuguese forward and finalize the details of what would be one of the most surprising transfers of the last decade.
Agnelli reportedly took a private jet from Pisa to the Greek city of Kalamata at around 12 p.m. local time (6 a.m. EST). Following Portugal's elimination at the hands of Uruguay on June 30, Ronaldo returned to Spain. He has since been on holiday in Greece as he clarifies his future.
#Agnelli, aereo per la #Grecia: incontro con #CristianoRonaldo? #Juventus https://t.co/G5PB2F7X2q #serieA #juventus pic.twitter.com/Hybcq7qaId
— LaGazzettadelloSport (@Gazzetta_it) July 10, 2018
A source quoted by ESPN also confirmed Agnelli had flown to Greece to meet the Portuguese who, according to Gazzetta dello Sport, spoke on the phone with Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri last Friday.
Ronaldo, who helped Real Madrid to clinch an unprecedented third consecutive Champions League crown in May, has scored a mind-boggling 450 goals in 438 appearances in all competitions for the Spanish giants, since arriving at the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2009 from Manchester United.
Portugal's captain is the club's all-time leading goalscorer but cast doubts over his future shortly after Real Madrid beat Liverpool 3-1 in the Champions League on May 26, saying: "It has been very nice being at Real Madrid."
Suggestions the 33-year-old could complete a shock move to the Serie A champions first arose last week, when Spanish TV show Jugones reported Real Madrid were ready to accept Juventus' $116.5 million offer for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner.
A day later, Spanish newspaper Marca reported the five-time Champions League winner had begun looking for a house in Turin.
On the same day, Italian soccer journalist Gianluca Di Marzio reported that Ronaldo's agent, Jorge Mendes, was in Madrid to meet Real's president Florentino Perez and discuss a contract extension for his client.
Ronaldo has been linked with a move away from Madrid virtually every summer over the last couple of years, with rumors of malaise surfacing before being swiftly quashed by an improved contract.
His current contract expires in 2021 but Juventus are reportedly set to offer him an eye-watering $35 million-a-year wage, which would make the former Manchester United number 7 the highest-paid player in the club's history.
Should the deal for Ronaldo be finalized, Juventus, who have won the last seven Serie A titles in a row, will in all likelihood have to sell some of the prized assets. On Thursday, beIN Sports correspondent Tancredi Palmeri suggested the Bianconeri were prepared to sell Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala to make room for Ronaldo. The former became the Juve's record signing when he arrived from Serie A rivals Napoli for $105 million in the summer of 2016, while the latter is considered one of the hottest properties in world soccer.
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Dan Cancian is currently a reporter for Newsweek based in London, England. Prior to joining Newsweek in January 2018, he ... Read more
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