Well, it has begun. Juventus are far from being eliminated from the Champions League, but circulating reports are already starting to claim that the Ronaldo could put an end for his time in Turin.
According to Diario Gol (via ilBianconero), the former Manchester United star has asked his agent Jorge Mendes to find him a new club next season.
Ronaldo has a contract which ties him to Juventus until the summer of 2022, and it was believed that the parties were set to begin the negotiations regarding a renewal for an extra year.
However, the source believes the Bianconeri’s first leg defeat at the hands of Porto in the Champions League round of 16 has convinced the striker to leave the Italian club sooner rather than later.
Ronaldo has been enjoying a prolific season so far, leading the top scoring charts in Serie A with 16 goals alongside Romelu Lukaku.
Nonetheless, the five time Ballon d’Or winner could end up missing on European silverware for the third season in a row with the Old Lady.
Last season, the Italian champions were eliminated by Lyon in the round of 16, and two years ago they were knocked out from the quarter finals at the hands of Ajax.
Our View on the Juventus-Ronaldo Breakup Report
Well, someone had to write that report, and Diario Gol decided to be the protagonists in this one.
Although pre-mature news reports have become the norm when it comes to the transfer market, claiming that a player wants to leave the club because of a disappointing first leg result seems a bit over the line.
Two years ago, Ronaldo steered an even tougher second leg Juventus comeback at the very same stage of the competition against Atletico Madrid.
Therefore, the Portuguese superstar is expected to be mainly focused on avenging himself after his underwhelming performance against his compatriots, rather than thinking about an escape route.
Click on this link to read our Player Ratings for Juventus against Porto