Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly tasked his agents to begin working on a deal to take him back to Real Madrid this summer.
The Portuguese superstar, 36, still has another 15 months left to run on his Juventus contract but appears ready to cut short his stay in Turin.
Rumours have been circulating that the five-time Ballon d’Or winner could be on his way back to either Manchester United or Madrid at the end of the season.
And Juventus are keen not to let Ronaldo – who cost them £100million in 2018 – leave for nothing next year.
While the forward has been a huge hit at Juve since his move he has grown frustrated at the club’s poor showing in Europe, as they were eliminated from the Champions League in the early knockout rounds again last week.
According to Eurosport , Ronaldo has now instructed his agent, Jorge Mendes, to orchestrate a move for him back to the Bernabeu for a second stint at Madrid.
A deal could suit all parties, with Juventus concerned about the size of their wage bill – with Ronaldo top earner on almost €600,000 per week – while Madrid are looking for cut-price options to bolster their attack.
The Los Blancos are intent on launching respective bids for Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland in 2022, but need some more firepower in their frontline ahead of next season.
Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane did little to placate speculation when pressed on the subject of re-signing Ronaldo this summer.
“Yes, there may be [some truth in the rumours],” Zidane said. “We know Cristiano, we know the person he is and everything he has done here.
“But now he’s a Juventus player and we must respect this. Now, let’s see what the future will be.
“I was lucky enough to coach him and he is very impressive. Right now, he’s helping Juventus.”
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