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The future surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo's time at Juventus has been one of the major talking points throughout this summer. Despite various rumors suggesting that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is looking at a move away from Juventus, there has not been any concrete evidence to suggest the same.
Cristiano Ronaldo joined Juventus in the summer of 2018, right after the World Cup. In his three seasons with the Old Lady, the 36-year-old forward has scored 101 goals and provided 22 assists in just 134 games.
However, rumors are already inclined towards a move away from Juventus as Ronaldo enters the final year of his contract, which expires next summer. This means that if Juventus do not sell Cristiano Ronaldo this summer, they risk losing their prized asset for free in 2022.
As things stand, Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Juventus is still questionable. The 36-year-old forward did play in Juventus' opening Serie A game against Udinese. However, he started the game on the bench with reports suggesting he wanted time to decide his future.
Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes is currently in Turin to discuss his client's future. Earlier this week, it was reported that Mendes had offered Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester City.
However, there are major complications with this deal taking place. Firstly, Manchester City do not wish to pay the €30 million asking price from Juventus. They are also not interested in sending Gabriel Jesus the other way as part of a swap-deal which the Bianconeri were reportedly interested in.
Contrary to rumors, Paris Saint-Germain are also not interested in signing Cristiano Ronaldo. They are content with the signing of Lionel Messi from Barcelona on a free transfer earlier this month.
What are the reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo might want to leave Juventus?
There are multiple reasons why Cristiano Ronaldo would want to leave Juventus as early as this summer. Firstly, the 36-year-old forward has achieved almost everything there is in Italy. Ronaldo has won two Serie A titles, an Italian Supercup and a Coppa Italia with Juventus, though he has missed out on the Champions League. The Portuguese skipper also won his first Paolo Rossi Award for being the top-scorer in Serie A.
Secondly, Cristiano Ronaldo's contract is expiring next summer. The five-time Ballon d'Or winner might want to try out a new challenge with a new club as he approaches the final years of his illustrious career.
What are the possible destinations for Cristiano Ronaldo?
As things stand, there are only a handful of clubs that can afford to bring in Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus. Given his wage demands, most teams would struggle to sign him due to the difficult financial times caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Right now, Manchester City are the closest to signing Cristiano Ronaldo after missing out on securing the services of Harry Kane. However, it wouldn't be surprising if the 36-year-old superstar stayed at Juventus for another year.
Also Read: Jim Beglin's column - Ranking the 5 greatest central midfielders of all time
