Juventus President Travels To Meet Cristiano Ronaldo In Greece To Seal Move From Real Madrid

A source has reportedly told ESPN FC’s Gabriele Marcotti that Juventus president Andrea Agnelli travelled to Greece on Tuesday to meet Cristiano Ronaldo as the Portugal star’s proposed €100 million ($110m) transfer from Real Madrid nears completion.

Ronaldo is on a postseason break in Greece following the end of a campaign that saw him help Madrid to a third straight Champions League title and then captain his country at the World Cup in Russia.

Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport first reported that Agnelli had taken a private jet from Pisa to the Greek city of Calamata on Tuesday, and a source has confirmed to ESPN FC that the Juventus boss has made the trip to meet Ronaldo to finalise the deal.

Gazzetta dello Sport also reports that Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri and Ronaldo spoke on the phone last Friday.

Allegri has won four straight Serie A and Coppa Italia doubles in as many years since replacing Antonio Conte as Juve coach, although he has yet to get his hands on the Champions League — a trophy the Italian club last won in 1996. They have been beaten in two finals in the past four seasons, with Ronaldo’s Real prevailing in Cardiff in 2017 and Barcelona beating them in Berlin in 2015.

Ronaldo, Madrid’s all-time top goal scorer, has won the trophy four times during his nine years at the Bernabeu. The 33-year-old’s contract is due to expire in 2021.

He sparked speculation over his future in Spain when, just moments after the 3-1 Champions League final victory over Liverpool on May 26, he spoke about his time at the club in the past tense, saying: “It has been very nice being at Real Madrid.”

Three days later, a source close to Ronaldo told ESPN FC that all options were on the table regarding his future, before subsequently insisting that he was not considering a move out of Europe.

The lengthy case brought against him by the Spanish tax office — which, according to sources, was settled last month when the former Manchester United player agreed to pay a total of €18.8m — is another reason cited for his desire to leave Spain.