Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri said on Friday that Cristiano Ronaldo had told him he wanted to leave the club.
Sources have told ESPN that Ronaldo is about to end his move to Manchester City and that he was absent from training on Friday at Juve.
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“Yesterday, Cristiano Ronaldo informed me that he had no intention of staying at Juventus,” Allegri told a news conference ahead of Saturday’s Serie A clash with Empoli. “For this reason, you have not been selected”.
Asked if he was disappointed with Ronaldo’s decision to leave, Allegri said: “No. He made a decision. [Omar] Sivori, [Alessandro] De l’Piero, [Zinedine] Zidane has been coming and going. Juve stay and that is the most important thing. “
Ronaldo joined Juve in 2018 after nine seasons with Real Madrid, where he won the Champions League four times and LaLiga twice.
In Italy, he won consecutive Serie A titles in his first two seasons.
Ronaldo, who won three Premier League titles and a Champions League during his six seasons at Manchester United, is in talks with rival City, according to ESPN sources.
Former teammate Wayne Rooney has questioned the proposed proposal.
“I don’t know what to do about it, to be honest,” the Derby county manager told a news conference. “If you ask me if I think it is possible, I have great doubts that it is a possibility.
“Cristiano has a great legacy at United. I don’t think he will move anywhere for financial reasons.”
Obstacles would still have to be overcome before the transfer could take place (particularly Juventus’ fare demand), but there is cautious optimism in reaching an agreement, sources said.
Juve would like about 28 million euros before allowing Ronaldo to leave, but there is a lot of desire to take the 36-year-old’s salary.