Juventus director offers crucial update on Cristiano Ronaldo's future
Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo's future with the Italian giants is reportedly unclear following the Bianconeri's elimination from the UEFA Champions League at the hands of Porto.
Juventus club director Fabio Patrici has said that the Portuguese forward's contract is not an immediate issue, indicating that Cristiano Ronaldo will remain in Turin next season.
Juventus went into Tuesday night's match against Porto on the back of a 2-1 defeat to the Portuguese club in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie. Porto took the lead against Andrea Pirlo's side through a first-half penalty from Sergio Oliviera.
A second-half brace from Federico Chiesa leveled the tie on aggregate and took the game into extra time. Oliviera scored once more in the second half of extra time as Wojciech Szczesny failed to deal with his long-range free-kick.
French midfielder Adrien Rabiot scored for Juventus deep into stoppage time to hand his side the victory on the night. Porto, however, advanced to the quarter-finals of the Champions League thanks to the away goals rule.
Juventus' elimination from the Champions League has resulted in many people questioning the future of star forward Cristiano Ronaldo.
Cristiano Ronaldo was signed from Real Madrid in the summer of 2018 to help the Bianconeri win the Champions League title that has eluded them so far. The former Manchester United man has won the competition five times, once with the Red Devils and four times with Real Madrid.
Juventus have not managed to win the competition during Cristiano Ronaldo's time at the club, which has led many to believe that he may leave Turin in the summer.
Juventus sporting director Fabio Patrici, however, has dispelled rumors of a potential exit for Ronaldo. He believes the 36-year-old's contract renewal is not a pressing issue at the moment.
"There's still another year of contract. Cristiano's contract renewal is not an immediate issue. There's time to talk about it," Patrici told Sky Sports.
Juventus will be desperate to keep hold of Cristiano Ronaldo
Juventus have endured a poor season under Andrea Pirlo. The Italian giants have been knocked out of the UEFA Champions League at the Round of 16 stage and are ten points behind Serie A leaders Inter Milan in the league table.
Juventus are reportedly ready to begin plans for the summer transfer window as they prepare to strengthen their squad ahead of the 2021-22 season. The Bianconeri will also be keen to keep hold of key players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala, who have been linked with moves away from the club.
The Serie A giants have spent the last two transfer windows signing young talents, but they may have to alter their strategy this summer to compete on all fronts next season.