Juve shares jump in anticipation of Ronaldo move
MILAN — Shares in Juventus FC jumped almost 10 percent on Thursday in the wake of reports that Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo might soon join the Italian giant.
For a second day running, Juventus, Italy’s most successful soccer team, declined to comment on the reports.
Over the past three days, shares in the club have surged more than 20 percent in heavy trading volumes, as speculation over a Ronaldo transfer mounts.
Several Italian newspapers reported on Thursday that Ronaldo’s agent was expected to meet Real Madrid President Florentino Perez later the same day to discuss the possible transfer.
Juventus won a seventh straight Serie A championship in May, bringing its overall tally to a record 34 titles.
“It would be a big deal, increasing the team’s appeal and also because it would mean bigger business for Juve through merchandising,” a Milan-based trader said.
Ronaldo, who joined Real from Manchester United in 2008 for a then world record $105.9 million, is the Spanish club’s all-time top scorer with 451 goals in all competitions while leading it to two La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies.
Despite the glut of silverware, however, the five-time world player of the year has had frequent fallouts with Real and has declared on several occasions that he wants to leave the club.
Moments after lifting a third consecutive Champions League trophy by helping Real beat Liverpool 3-1 in the final on May 26, Ronaldo appeared to suggest he had already decided to leave, telling a television reporter on the pitch at Kiev’s NSC Olympic Stadium: “It was beautiful to play for Real Madrid.”
The 33-year-old appeared to backtrack on that statement during Real’s celebration parade through the Spanish capital the next day, when he told a mass of supporters: “See you next season.”
Still, that hasn’t done much to quell the speculation.
‘Eternally grateful’
Ronaldo’s agent has told Portuguese media the player would be “eternally grateful” to the Spanish club if he ends up leaving.
Jorge Mendes was quoted as saying in Portuguese newspaper Record that Ronaldo would always be grateful to “the club, the president, the directors, the medical staff, all the workers without exception and all the Madrid fans around the world.”
Local media in Spain and Italy claim Ronaldo has already reached a deal to sign with Juventus, although neither club has officially confirmed the negotiations.
Mendes was quoted by Record on Thursday as saying that “if that happens, it will be just a new phase and a new challenge in his brilliant career.”
Ronaldo hinted after the Champions League final in May that he could be leaving Real Madrid. He said he would discuss his club future while with Portugal at the World Cup, but never did.
Ronaldo notched a hattrick in Portugal’s World Cup opener against Spain, but the team was eliminated by Uruguay in the round of 16.
Transfer reports
Real has not issued any statement on its website about Ronaldo, although in the past few days it has issued statements denying reports it has made transfer bids for Paris St Germain forwards Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
Spanish newspaper Marca suggested on Wednesday that Ronaldo is unhappy at Real because it is searching for his successor and Perez has publicly courted Neymar, urging the Brazilian last year to come to Madrid if he wants to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or award, given annually to the world’s best player.
Ronaldo, Portugal’s most capped player and all-time leading scorer with 85 goals in 154 appearances, scored two goals against Juventus in Real’s 4-1 win in the 2017 Champions League final.
Earlier this season, he struck a jaw-dropping bicycle kick against the Italians in a 3-0 win in a quarterfinal firstleg game in Turin, prompting Juve supporters to give him a standing ovation.
He scored four goals in the World Cup, but missed a crucial penalty in a 1-1 draw with Iran and was largely ineffective in the second round 2-1 loss to Uruguay.
If that happens, it will be just a new phase and a new challenge in his brilliant career.”