Wednesday, 11 July 2018

Cristiano Ronaldo joining Juventus in €100m deal from Real Madrid

Cristiano Ronaldo is joining Juventus after the Italian club agreed a €100m (£88.3m) fee for the Portugal forward with Real Madrid.

The 33-year-old is ready for a new challenge after nine years at Real and asked the La Liga club to let him go. The player and his agent, Jorge Mendes, met the Juventus chairman, Andrea Agnelli, in Greece on Tuesday to discuss the final details of the deal. Ronaldo is signing a four-year contract with an annual salary of around €30m. In Italy clubs have to pay the same amount in tax, which takes the total cost of the transfer to €340m (€100m transfer fee plus €240m in salary and taxes).

“I only have feelings of enormous gratitude for this club and for this city,” Ronaldo wrote in an open letter to Real fans. “I have had nine absolutely wonderful years at the club.

“Real Madrid has conquered my heart, and that of my family, and that is why more than ever I want to say thank you: thank you to the club, the president, the directors, my colleagues, all the staff, doctors, physios and incredible people that make everything work.”

He finished his letter by saying: “Thanks to everyone and, of course, as I said that first time in our stadium nine years ago: Hala Madrid!”

@cristiano https://t.co/88xFtX3Xw4 #CR7Juve pic.twitter.com/nnG0N4074U
— JuventusFC (@juventusfc) July 10, 2018

Cristiano Ronaldo: Juventus sign Real Madrid forward for £99.2m

Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has joined Juventus, becoming one of the four most expensive players of all time.

A deal worth 112m euros (£99.2m) has been reached between the two clubs that has seen the Portuguese sign a four-year deal with the Italian champions.

Ronaldo, 33, won four Champions League titles in his nine years at Real.

"The time has come to open a new stage in my life, that's why I asked the club to accept transferring me," he said.

The top two world record transfer fees have been paid out by Paris St-Germain - the £200m they paid Barcelona for Brazil forward Neymar last August, and the fee of around £166m for France forward Kylian Mbappe in July after a successful season on loan with PSG.

Barcelona also paid Liverpool £142m for Brazil midfielder Philippe Coutinho in January. For Juventus, the fee they will pay for Ronaldo is set to eclipse the £75.3m they paid for forward Gonzalo Higuain from Napoli in July 2016.

Juventus are set to play Real Madrid in a pre-season International Champions Cup tournament in the United States, with the match taking place at FedEx Field in Washington on Saturday, 4 August.

'Real Madrid have conquered my heart' - Ronaldo's letter to fans

These years in Real Madrid, and in this city of Madrid, have been possibly the happiest of my life.

I only have feelings of enormous gratitude for this club, for its fans and for this city. I can only thank all of them for the love and affection I have received.

However, I believe that the time has come to open a new stage in my life and that is why I have asked the club to accept transferring me. I feel that way and I ask everyone, and especially our fans, to please understand me.

They have been absolutely wonderful for nine years. They have been nine unique years. It has been an emotional time for me, full of consideration but also hard because Real Madrid is of the highest demands, but I know very well that I will never forget that I have enjoyed football here in a unique way.

I have had fabulous team-mates on the field and in the dressing room, I have felt the warmth of an incredible crowd and together we have won three Championships in a row and four Championships in five years. And with them also, on an individual level, I have the satisfaction of having won four Gold Balls and three Gold Boots. All during my time in this immense and extraordinary club.

Sami Khedira - We had a great time together in Madrid

Benvenuto a Torino, Cristiano 🏴🏳 We had a great time together in Madrid, I can‘t wait to get back to work with you! Today is a special day for @juventusfc! 💪🏽 #FinoAllaFine #ForzaJuve #SK6 @cristiano pic.twitter.com/iU4ULPeHmg
— Sami Khedira (@SamiKhedira) July 10, 2018

Sergio Ramos ‏ : @Cristiano, your goals, your numbers and everything we've won together speak for themselves

.@Cristiano, your goals, your numbers and everything we've won together speak for themselves. You have earned a special place in the history of @RealMadrid. As Madridistas we'll remember you always. It's been a pleasure to play alongside you, bicho. Big hig and good luck! 🍀👍🏻 pic.twitter.com/NaywaDd3gw
— Sergio Ramos (@SergioRamos) July 10, 2018