JUVENTUS do not see contract talks with Cristiano Ronaldo as a ‘priority’, sparking fresh doubts over the superstar’s future.
The Portuguese winger has a year left on his £560,000-a-week deal in Turin, but the club has been bitten hard by the pandemic financial crisis.
Cristiano Ronaldo suffered a rare bad night in the Champions League versus PortoCredit: AP:Associated Press
Reports of a potential sale have persisted in recent months and may come to a head in the summer.
Juventus managing director Fabio Paratici discussed the 36-year-old’s future following the team’s shock exit from the Champions League.
He told reporters: “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.”
Cuts are reportedly set to start in the coming months and Ronaldo has been described as more dispensable than younger stars such as Matthijs de Ligt.
Tuesday’s exit at the hands of Porto meant the forward has once again failed to land the Champions League in Italy.
Ronaldo was a bystander for much of the game, sensationally turning his back on Sergio Oliveira’s free-kick that beat the wall and sent the Portuguese side into the quarter-finals.
His performance was a far cry from the typically decisive star usually seen at this stage of the competition.
But, over the season as a whole, he has remained very much in the goals.
A tally of 27 strikes in 32 appearances actually represents his best goals-per-games ratio of his three seasons with Juventus.
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Yet the Bianconeri have now suffered their second last-16 exit in a row and hold a ten-point disadvantage in the Serie A title race.
Speaking after the 4-4 away goals defeat, coach Andrea Pirlo said: “When [Ronaldo] plays he usually gives us a 1-0 headstart.
“But it also happens that a player like him fails to score. It also happens to champions.
“He gave his contribution by doing what he had to do. It is a pity that we didn’t manage to qualify.”
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
