Real Madrid confirm Cristiano Ronaldo is on his way to Juventus
Real Madrid have confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo is on his way to Juventus after personally requesting the transfer.
Ronaldo has developed into one of the best players of all-time during his nine years at Madrid but is now seeking a fresh challenge.
The Serie A giants are on the verge of pulling off one of the deals of the century and are even prepared to shatter their wage structure to land Ronaldo by offering the veteran a four-year deal.
Juventus broke their club transfer record to sign Gonzalo Higuain from rivals Napoli in a deal worth £75m but now they will surpass that fee to land Ronaldo.
"Real Madrid communicates that, according to the will and request expressed by the player Cristiano Ronaldo, he has agreed to join Juventus," a statement read on the club's official website.
"Today Real Madrid wants to express its gratitude to a player who has proved to be the best in the world and who has marked one of the most brilliant times in the history of our club and world football."
Madrid will use the funds generated from Ronaldo's impending €100m departure to overhaul their offensive options, starting with moves for Paris Saint-Germain duo Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.
Chelsea star Eden Hazard is also a target for Madrid but the Belgium international will likely only be considered if the European champions fail to prise either Neymar or Mbappe away from Paris.
In nine seasons at Madrid, Ronaldo has won the Champions League on four occasions and La Liga twice. Not only that, but Ronaldo has also become the all-time leading scorer in Europe’s top six leagues.
Barcelona lost Neymar to PSG last year and won its league without directly replacing Neymar. If Bale stays healthy and plays regularly, Real Madrid's starters could be expected to take third place or better in its league to match its performance last season without adding Mbappe or Neymar. Real Madrid does not have to acquire one of these players in the weeks left for transfers to be one of the most competitive teams in its league in the upcoming season.
Poor old Higuain!
Congratulations!