Cristiano Ronaldo has dominated Real Madrid news in recent times, with many linking the Portuguese with a return to the La Liga to put an end to an ultimately unsuccessful spell at Juventus. He was signed to win the Champions League, an ambition that’s further to being unfulfilled now than when he arrived in Turin.
“Ronaldo will soon have to decide what to do for next season,” Fabrizio Romano opined in an exclusive column on Benchwarmers. “His agent Jorge Mendes has a meeting scheduled with Juventus in May for the choice, Cristiano still has a year of contract with the Bianconeri but everything is possible.
“The Portuguese dreams of a return to Real Madrid. So far, however, no signals from Florentino Perez have arrived and there is no advanced negotiation in this sense.”
Mendes accelerated the process a few weeks ago, before Juventus simultaneously began to think about splitting up with the Portuguese star in the wake of their premature exit from the Champions League at the hands of Porto.
The problem, however, is that Madrid aren’t interested in bringing their former star back. The pandemic has changed everything, with economic situations across the European game much more delicate due to the drop in revenues. Madrid’s priority lies in recruiting emerging talents, not ageing superstars.
Ronaldo and Juventus may still seek to part ways. The Italian club lost €113m last year, and are looking to reduce their salary bill. Ronaldo is their highest earner by some distance. Also, from a sporting perspective, the deal hasn’t quite worked out. Juventus have been eliminated early in Europe three years running. They need to recalibrate their project, while Ronaldo needs to find a team with whom he can win another Champions League title.
