Cristiano Ronaldo close to signing deal with Premier League giants Manchester City- Report

Juventus striker Cristiano Ronaldo is reportedly close to signing with defending Premier League champions Manchester City.

According to a report in ESPN, the modern-day great is close to reaching an agreement with the arch-rivals of Manchester United. Sources also state that Man City boss Pep Guardiola and Ronaldo spoke over phone on Thursday and that the former Man United striker could be departing soon.

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However, the move, should it work out, will not happen without multiple complications. For one, Juventus are not ready to let go off Ronaldo for free and are demanding a fee of around €28 million before allowing Ronaldo to leave

Ronaldo surprisingly started on the bench for Juve’s opening weekend clash with Udinese last Sunday, Italian media saying the Portuguese had asked not to be in the team to preserve his fitness for a move away from the club.

Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri denied those reports.

“Ronaldo is feeling well,” Allegri told DAZN after the match. “I had talked to him before the game, telling him he would start on the bench. He made himself available, he did well when he entered the pitch.”

Never one to go about things quietly, Ronaldo came on and headed what appeared to be a stoppage-time winner in Udine, only for VAR to rule the veteran forward to be offside, so Juve had to settle for a 2-2 draw.

Meanwhile, the 36-year-old Ronaldo, who is under contract with Juventus through next June, but Spanish media has speculated about a return to Madrid, where he thrived from 2009-18.

“Anyone who knows me is aware of how focused I am on my work. Less talk and more action, this has been my guiding motto since the start of my career. However, in view of everything that’s been said and written recently, I have to set out my position,” Ronaldo said on a lengthy post on Instagram accompanied by a photo of himself making a silence gesture, with a finger in front of his face.

“More than the disrespect for me as a man and as a player, the frivolous way that my future is covered in the media is disrespectful to all the clubs involved in these rumors, as well as to their players and staff,” he said. “My story at Real Madrid has been written … I know that the true Real Madrid fans will continue to have me in their hearts, and I will have them in mine.”

Since arriving in Turin in 2018 from Real Madrid, the Portuguese striker has netted 101 goals in 134 appearances for Juve.

He is also a five-time Ballon d’Or winner and spent six years, between 2003 and 2009, at Manchester United.

(With agency inputs)