Ronaldo Set to Quit Juventus?
The rumors about Cristiano Ronaldo leaving Juventus started last year, but they have grown louder as the football season nears the end. The exit now looks like a sure thing after Porto dumped Juventus out of the Champions League. The rumors were that the management is unhappy in not seeing a return on their money. The club also has fears about recouping their money if the striker goes out as a free agent. While Ronaldo is still impressive in the field, football pundits wonder which club will take him in at the tail-end of his career.
Plenty of Fight Left
At 36 years old, Ronaldo shows no signs of slowing down. He remains the most impressive striker in Serie-A, and the top goal scorer for Juventus, with 23 goals this season. The striker has an impressive 1.03 goals for every 90 minutes on the field. He steered Juventus to the Serie-A title in the last three seasons. He has set the goalscoring record for 51 goals in the shortest time at the club.
Ronaldo goal scoring prowess has made him a big favorite for anytime goalscorer bets on online sportsbooks. His odds are 13/20 in the upcoming Easter game against Torino. As well as great offers on sports like football, they also accommodate for horse racing, for example take a look at these Grand National betting offers that you can get your hands on.
Ronaldo remains one of the most impressive football players in Europe. He is the oldest player to have scored over 30 goals in each of the five different European major leagues he has played. He is the first European player to score over 101 goals in international matches. His score totals are more than the next three top three top goalscorers of all time. The Portuguese striker has never mentioned the possibility of retiring soon.
Why is Ronaldo Leaving?
Juventus spent €100 million back in 2018 to bring in Ronaldo from Real Madrid. The Torinese pegged their Champions League hopes on the striker, seeing as it is that he had lifted the trophy five times before. Those hopes have disappeared after Juve dropped off the Champions League quarters. Ironically, they lost to Portuguese side Porto. The club has a feeling of not getting a good return for the colossal investment in the player.
CR7’s humongous salary is another pinch for the club. He takes home £28million (€31 million) each year. His salary is worth the salaries of the combined sum of the next four players. It would relieve the club to have this huge expenditure off their books, especially after this financially disastrous season.
The biggest motivation for Juventus would be to get their money before Ronaldo walks off free at the end of his contract in 2022. They are reportedly willing to take $29.5 million to offload him at a loss rather than let him go free.
Where is Ronaldo Headed?
There are two main hurdles to Ronaldo's transfer possibilities. At 36 years, he has very few seasons to play at top peak. There are upstarts who have shown much promise, and who have plenty of years in the fight. The other hurdle is his big salary. There are huge doubts any club is willing to match his current salary. The disastrous 2020/2021 financial year for football clubs makes it even less likely any clubs will make a bid.
One club that would have such deep pockets is PSG. There was a buzz after PSG sports director, Leonardo Araújo, said that PSG could ‘enter the circle’ to make a bid if Ronaldo became available in the upcoming season. Manchester City was also said to be interested. The Citizens have the financial muscle and need a striker to replace Aguero.
The strongest links are in Spain. Ronaldo has a soft heart for his old club Real Madrid, where he lifted the four Champions League titles. He would reconnect with a very loyal fanbase and a familiar manager. The problem is that he is not at the top of their priorities right now. They reportedly have eyes on Mbappe and Haaland. There would be no space for Ronaldo if they sign either of the two youngsters. What is next for the Portuguese star? Only time will tell.