By Oyinlola Awonuga Balogun (The New Diplomat’s Entertainment, Fashion and Sports Desk)
Serie A giant Juventus are reportedly prepared to accept as little as £25million for Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 36-year-old joined Juventus from Real Madrid in 2018, with Old Lady chiefs with the hope that he could help them clinch an elusive Champions League title.
However, Juve’s performances in Europe’s top competition have dramatically slumped since Ronaldo’s arrival, with the Italians failing to advance past the quarter-finals in each of the last three seasons.
At the age of 36, Ronaldo is proving a incredibly expensive asset, with his £28m-per-year salary significantly dwarfing the earnings of his team-mates.
Reports in Italy suggest that Juventus are tempted to offload Ronaldo this summer, with Paris Saint-Germain interested in landing the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
According to reports, Juventus will accept an offer as low as £25m to part ways with the 36-year-old, with any less than that sum resulting in a capital loss for the club.
Ronaldo’s current contract with the club expires in June 2022, with the club not looking at extending that deal at present.
Meanwhile, reports in Spain says that Jorge Mendes, agent of Ronaldo, has held talks with Real Madrid over a sensational return.
Ronaldo helped guide Zinedine Zidane’s side to four Champions League titles in five seasons, smashing goal records along the way.
Juventus CEO Fabio Patratici said this week: “Fortunately, there is still a year on Ronaldo’s contract, so we have time to talk to him. That’s not a priority right now.”
Super agent Mendes has strong relationship with European football’s elite clubs, with French reports this week outlining that the Portuguese keeps is in regular contact with PSG’s club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
Le Parisien says PSG are closely monitoring Ronaldo’s situation in Turin ahead of the summer transfer window.
In the event that Kylian Mbappe decides to leave the Parc des Princes, PSG look set to sign either Ronaldo or his great football rival Lionel Messi whose Barcelona future is far from certain.
