Juventus News Roundup: Cristiano Ronaldo to stay at Juve on one condition, Bianconeri issue ultimatum to Paulo Dybala over contract extension - 25 March 2021
Cristiano Ronaldo is willing to kick on at Juventus but only on one condition.
Juventus suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at home to Benevento this past weekend and now their chances of winning a tenth consecutive Serie A are starting to fade. There is a lot of noise surrounding the club at the moment as they prepare for what is expected to be a busy summer transfer window.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the top stories involving Juventus from 25 March 2021.
Juventus vice-president Nedved says Cristiano Ronaldo and Pirlo will stay at the club
Juventus are in a bit of a crisis following their UEFA Champions League exit. Their hopes of winning the Serie A title for a tenth consecutive time have also taken a major hit as they remain 10 points adrift of league leaders Inter Milan after 27 games.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo are two people who have bore the brunt of the criticism shelled out towards the club. Ronaldo has been linked with an exit as well but now the club's vice-president Pavel Nedved has stated that the duo will remain at the club.
Speaking to DAZN as relayed by Football Italia, Nedved said:
“Pirlo is and will be the Juventus coach, that’s 100 per cent sure. We have begun a new project with him, knowing we would face difficulties. We wanted to do something more, but we could not manage to do so.
“We are calm, Pirlo has everything to become a great coach.”
On Cristiano Ronaldo's situation, he said:
"As far as I am concerned, Ronaldo won’t leave. He has a contract until June 2022, and he will stay. We’ll see what will happen afterwards.
“Cristiano Ronaldo pushed us towards the Olympus of football, both on technically and in terms of image.
“He scored more than 100 goals in 120 matches, and, besides, he dragged us into the Champions League.
“He’s a simple guy, although he may not look like that from the outside. He is the prototype of a modern player who has achieved incredible targets with immense talent and a lot of work.
Juventus offer 'take it or leave it' deal to Paulo Dybala
Paulo Dybala has been one of Juventus' best players for several years now. However, his 2020-21 campaign has been hindered by injuries. The player and the club haven't been able to see eye-to-eye over the terms of a new contract and there is a lot of speculation around Dybala's future.
According to Football Italia, Juventus have now made a final offer to Dybala. It is claimed that it's a 'take it or leave it' offer from the club. The club have reportedly stuck to their original terms despite the Argentine and his camp hoping for a more lucrative offer.
Juventus' new stance is influenced by the fact that Dybala is no longer considered 'untouchable' after missing out on a chunk of the season through injuries and also because the club has been hit severely in a financial sense in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cristiano Ronaldo wants reinforcements to continue at Juventus
Amid all the rumours linking him with an exit, Cristiano Ronaldo has decided that he will stay at Juventus beyond this season on one condition. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Cristiano Ronaldo wants a more competitive squad and wants the club to bring in reinforcements in the summer if they want him to stay.
The striker will have a conversation with the club's executives before he leaves for the Euros in the summer and will make a decision on the basis of the outcome of that discussion.
Ronaldo is now 36 and wants to win more trophies before his age catches up with him and believes Juventus need to bolster their squad to compete on all fronts.