Former Juventus striker says Cristiano Ronaldo could leave this summer
Former Juventus striker Toto Schillaci has said that Cristiano Ronaldo is likely to leave Juventus this summer after receiving unfair criticism for his performance against Porto.
The Bianconeri were knocked out of the Champions League by Porto in what was an upset in the previous round. Ronaldo’s performance, in particular, was pointed out as he failed to inspire an insipid Juventus attack in a crunch game.
Schillaci feels the Portuguese could leave Juventus for the over-the-top criticism he received after the loss against Porto, and that he won’t take long to find a new club.
"This will be his last season in Turin. I don’t know if the club will offer him a contract renewal but what is beyond doubt is that he won’t take long to find a new club.
"The criticism he received after the Champions League was over the top, we are talking about the best forward in the world. Anybody can have a bad game. Juventus perhaps underestimated the opposition," Toto Schillaci said.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure would relax Juventus’ wage structure
Although Cristiano Ronaldo’s impact on the pitch has helped Juventus in the final third, his massive wages have been an issue.
Cristiano Ronaldo currently earns €31 million a year, and that is more than three times the next highest earner in Serie A. Juventus are not in the healthiest of financial situations, so they may have to sell Cristiano Ronaldo.
The 36-year old has a contract with Juventus that runs until 2022, so if they manage to sell him this summer, they will be able to get a decent fee for him.
Having signed him for a club-record fee of around £105 million in 2018, they will not want to lose him for nothing in 2022.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure would relax Juventus’ wage structure, and money from his sale could be reinvested in other areas of the pitch.
Juventus are currently in a transition period under Andrea Pirlo and need to give him some funds to stamp his authority on the squad next summer.
A summer restructure will be needed to win the Scudetto again, as it looks likely that Inter Milan will finally end the Bianconeri’s stranglehold on the title this season.