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Juventus Transfers: Could Cristiano Ronaldo still leave this summer?

By James Cormack

ALLIANZ STADIUM, TORINO, ITALY - 2021/08/14: Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus Fc during warm up before the pre-season friendly match between Juventus Fc and Atalanta Bc. Juventus Fc wins 3-1 over Atalanta Bc. (Photo by Marco Canoniero/LightRocket via Getty Images)
ALLIANZ STADIUM, TORINO, ITALY - 2021/08/14: Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus Fc during warm up before the pre-season friendly match between Juventus Fc and Atalanta Bc. Juventus Fc wins 3-1 over Atalanta Bc. (Photo by Marco Canoniero/LightRocket via Getty Images) /
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The 2021/22 Serie A season gets underway this weekend with Juventus opening their account in Udine against Luca Gotti’s Udinese. For Cristiano Ronaldo, it’s the beginning of his Capocannoniere defence… we believe.

With just a year remaining on his current deal in Turin and a contract extension appearing a million miles away, Ronaldo’s future has been thrust into considerable doubt this summer.

The likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Manchester United have all been linked with a blockbuster move, but the feasibility of pulling off such a transfer in a time of financial strife appears incredibly unlikely. Well, unless you’re run by the Qatari state.

That’s PSG, by the way.

Nevertheless, while there was some talk of the Portuguese great being open to a move to the French capital last month, the 36-year-old seems content with staying at Juventus for at least another season.

However, Italian journalist Paolo Condo paints a slightly different picture.

Condo’s report

Writing in La Repubblica (via TuttoJuve), Condo says that both Juventus and Ronaldo have been proactive in their efforts to find a buyer for the player this summer.

The Manuel Locatelli saga has highlighted the sort of budget the Bianconeri are working with at the moment, and getting Ronaldo off their books would be a huge financial weight lifted off their shoulders. Ronaldo’s departure this summer would also surely help in negotiations regarding Paulo Dybala’s contract extension.

“Outside the official narrative, which obeys an obvious etiquette, it is clear to everyone that Juventus and Ronaldo have been waiting for a buyer able to free them from their respective constraints,” Condo said.

“It follows that Juve scores more or less always the same goals, whoever their main striker is since they always choose them well. Only that Cristiano pays him four times the others, thus removing ammunition from the rest of the departments.”

Condo also added that “Juve would never have let [Gianluigi] Donnarumma finish at PSG” this summer if they had the funds to finance the switch.

So, could Ronaldo still leave?

Could Ronaldo team up with longtime rival Lionel Messi in Paris next summer? (Photo by John Berry/Getty Images)
Could Ronaldo team up with longtime rival Lionel Messi in Paris next summer? (Photo by John Berry/Getty Images) /

Those PSG rumours are still lingering. Now, Spanish media outlet AS writes that the French giants are keen to replace the inevitably departing Kylian Mbappe with Ronaldo next summer.

Ronaldo. Messi. Neymar. Lol.

It’s reportedly been the ultimate ambition of PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi to bring these three megastars together in the French capital.

Nevertheless, that’ll be 2022’s problem. For now, it appears unlikely for Ronaldo to depart so late into the transfer window. Buyers have failed to manifest, and the reliable Romeo Agresti (via JuveFC) reported earlier this month that he’s confident the 36-year-old will remain at the club this summer.

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