Report: Ronaldo, Man City near deal

Cristiano Ronaldo’s days with Juventus appear numbered. The Portugal great’s departure has been rumored for months, with defending English Premier League champion Manchester City the likeliest destination. Juventus met with Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, on Thursday. The talks lasted about an hour and a half but little reportedly came out of them. ESPN reported that City and Ronaldo are close to reaching an agreement over a sensational move to the Etihad Stadium. City manager Pep Guardiola and Ronaldo reportedly spoke on the phone on Thursday morning. Guardiola wants a striker to replace Sergio Aguero, now with Barcelona, and Harry Kane was the club’s top target before he pledged his immediate future to Tottenham Hotspur. The 36-year-old Ronaldo has only one year left on his contract. The transfer window closes Tuesday. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner was signed from Real Madrid in 2018 for a club-record fee of more than $119 million with the aim of winning the Champions League. But Juventus hasn’t gone past the quarterfinals.