Cristiano Ronaldo: Juventus finally confirm Ronaldo’s return to Man United is DONE
Juventus have finally bid farewell to Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of his sensational £12.9million return to Manchester United.
The Serie A giants posted a 369-word statement to confirm the departure of the 36-year-old in a deal worth up to £19.8m over five years.
Ronaldo agreed a shock return to Old Trafford last Friday after being heavily linked with a move to rivals Manchester City.
Juventus have finally bid farewell to Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of Man United move
Ronaldo agreed a shock return to Old Trafford last Friday and his £12.9m switch is imminent
Juventus hailed the ‘unforgettable, incredible’ star in a lengthy statement on Tuesday morning.
It read: ‘On 10 July 2018, two icons of the European and football world came together – Cristiano Ronaldo became a Juventus player.
‘Today, after three years together and 133 appearances, 101 goals scored and five trophies won, that chapter has come to an end…. The paths of CR7 and Juventus have gone their separate ways.
‘On that day in July, when Cristiano arrived in Turin, the electric feeling of those great days could be felt through the air.
Juventus hailed the ‘unforgettable, incredible’ star in a lengthy statement on Tuesday morning – he made his final appearance for the Serie A giants against Udinese on August 22 (pictured)
‘The Juventus fans welcomed CR7 like a king, eager to see him on the pitch and cheer with him. It was a great story.
‘His first left us impressed: the first outing at Villar Perosa, where tradition and the desire to write a wonderful future came together, the first official match in Verona against Chievo, and of course, his first goal, the first iconic “Siuuu” that echoed around the Allianz Stadium against Sassuolo.
‘Then, there were the first trophies won together: the first Super Cup, obviously decided by him, the first Scudetto title, and this year, the first Italian Cup. But that’s not all, he also finished for the first time in Italy as the league’s top scorer. Then there were the broken records – lots of them.
‘He was the first player in Juventus history to score at least 100 goals in all competitions in his first three seasons with Juventus, and since his arrival in Serie A, he has scored more goals than any other player: 81, at least 10 more than any other.
Ronaldo joined up with his country Portugal on Monday but is set to complete Man United deal
Ronaldo is now on the cusp of sealing a dramatic return to United following six seasons there
‘Not only that, with the aforementioned title of top scorer, he also become the first to sit on the throne of the top goalscorers in Serie A, LaLiga and the Premier League.
‘The unforgettable moments experienced together were many. We could recite them and relive them, but it would not help, because everyone has their own special memory linked to CR7.
‘Everyone has a shared emotion that does not need to be dusted off, because everyone will always remember what they felt in walking this stretch of road together.
‘Today that bond born on July 10, three years ago, has been dissolved, but what has been written will forever remain. It has been an incredible journey.’
Ronaldo jetted off on international duty in Portugal on Monday ahead of their World Cup qualifiers over the next week, but his United switch is set to be announced imminently following the completion of his medical in Lisbon over the weekend.
In an incredible day of drama last Friday Ronaldo’s shock return to United was revealed just two and a half hours after City made it clear that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner would not be arriving at the Etihad.
His old mentor and former United manager Sir Alex Ferguson contacted and helped sway Ronaldo after the Red Devils stepped up their pursuit to re-sign the icon last Thursday night.
It will be an emotional return for the Portuguese superstar who left the club 12 years ago to forge a record-breaking career at Real Madrid.
Ronaldo is expected to have agreed terms on a two-year deal at United worth around £400,000 a week, which will make him the Premier League’s highest-paid player.
City had been offered Ronaldo by his agent, Jorge Mendes, during their failed pursuit of Tottenham striker Harry Kane.
City had viewed a deal with scepticism all last week, indicating an unwillingness to pay a fee to Juventus while also expecting the forward to take a significant reduction in his £500,000-a-week wages.
Ronaldo scored 118 goals and supplied 69 assists in 292 appearances across a trophy-laden six-year spell at United between 2003 and 2009 and he could make his second debut at home to Newcastle on September 11.
