Lionel Messi might not be the only global soccer superstar to switch teams this year. Reports surfaced that eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo is also mulling a move away from Juventus, with Manchester City circling over a possible transfer.
The Portuguese captain was benched in Juventus' Serie A opener against Udinese, amid growing speculation surrounding his future at the Italian giants. According to a report by Sky Italy, it was Ronaldo himself who requested not to start in this opening league match.
He did come on as a substitute, replacing Alvaro Morata in the 60th minute of the match that ended in a 2-2 draw. Ronaldo thought he had given Juventus the victory in the dying minutes, but VAR ruled out his supposed match-winner for offside. To make matters worse for Ronaldo, he was handed a yellow card for excessive celebration for the disallowed goal.
Juventus insists Ronaldo isn't going away
Juve's top officials tried to stamp out the rumors of Ronaldo's possible transfer before the match against Udinese. Manager Massimiliano Allegri remained adamant that his star player will not leave the club this summer, claiming Ronaldo told him he would stay at Turin for the season.
Juve Vice President Pavel Nedved echoed Allegri's sentiment, telling DAZN before the match that "Cristiano remains at Juventus." Nedved also said that both parties decided to bench Ronaldo for the Udinese match.
After the match, Allegri also paid tribute to Ronaldo, saying he did well when he entered the pitch and made himself available while coming off the bench.
Ronaldo, who joined Juventus for €100 million in July 2018, took to social media to address his future after El Chiringuito, a Spanish late-night TV show, told viewers on Monday night that he was set to make a sensational return to Real Madrid. Ronaldo shut down those reports, saying that the way his future is covered in the media is disrespectful to all the clubs involved in the rumors.
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Ronaldo shuts down Real Madrid rumors in social media post
Ronaldo added that his story at Real Madrid has already been written, implying that there won't be a reunion anytime soon. Manager Carlo Ancelotti also distanced himself from the Ronaldo transfer news, saying he never considered the former Real Madrid star returning to the club.
That being said, Ronaldo, in his post, stopped short of committing his future to Juventus, keeping the rumor mill churning as the transfer deadline fast approaches. One team that is constantly being linked to Ronaldo at the moment is Manchester City.
The Citizens' pursuit of Tottenham striker Harry Kane has stalled, leading some to speculate that Ronaldo would be a much better and cheaper alternative than the England captain. That will cause outrage, though, in the red half of Manchester, given that Ronaldo was formerly a United player.
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