Italian champions Juventus FC said that they are considering many opportunities in the player market amid media speculation they are in talks to sign Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo, who joined Real from Manchester United in 2008 for a then world record 80mn pounds ($106mn), is the Spanish club’s all-time top scorer with 451 goals in all competitions and has won two La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies with them.
On Wednesday it was reported that Ronaldo had received an offer to leave Real Madrid to join Juventus. The Portuguese five-time world player of the year has had several fallouts with his club and on several occasions indicated he would leave.
Moments after lifting a third consecutive Champions League trophy by helping beat Liverpool 3-1 in the final in May, Ronaldo appeared to suggest he had already decided to leave Real this year, telling a reporter on the pitch at Kiev’s NSC Olympic Stadium: “It was beautiful to play for Real Madrid.”
On Wednesday, Spanish sports daily Marca suggested that Ronaldo was disgruntled in Madrid because the European champions were already looking for a successor.
Marca then said yesterday that the forward had given Juventus his word that he would join them. The Turin-based club said they would promptly inform the market “if any agreement should be defined”, in a statement in response to a request by market regulator Consob.
Shares in Juventus FC were up 5.5% at 0.865euros, after a session high of 0.8995euros. In the last four market sessions the stock has risen nearly 30%, seeing a potential contract with Ronaldo as big business opportunity for the club.
A Milan-based trader pointed to the potential gain from a merchandise point of view, saying that Real Madrid has sold 750 thousand jerseys of Ronaldo alone. In February Juventus said it forecast to end the 2017-18 financial year, ending in June 2018, with a loss after posting half-year revenues at 290mn euros and a profit down to 43.3mn euros.
Meanwhile, Spain’s media said goodbye to Ronaldo while Italy’s welcomed him. “Ciao CR7” said the headline of Barcelona newspaper Mundo Deportivo. “Real accepts his departure, the key day will be today (Friday) and Juve wants to wrap up the operation so it can announce it,” the newspaper said. Spanish sport newspaper AS said that the player could be unveiled to Juve supporters in Turin as early as today, with the date 7/7 symbolic for number 7 Ronaldo. Juventus “hopes to announce (the news) tomorrow in its stadium,” said the paper, which had the headline “Cristiano exit imminent”.
Italian media welcomed the purported “imminent” arrival of Ronaldo, with Corriere Dello Sport also expecting him in Turin today.  “Italy is only a step away and Madrid is looking for its new top player,” the newspaper said. Gazzetta Dello Sport had the headline “CR7 Juve, we can do it”, and said Juventus was “closer than ever to the deal of the century”.
Spain’s Marca newspaper claimed that Ronaldo has “already given his word to (Andrea) Agnelli” the president of Juventus. “His desire to play for Juve is strong,” Marca said, cautioning that the Turin club had not yet received a firm offer from Real Madrid.